Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 6 Entries. Sunday, April 13 View Page I decided I would do a BP diary this year to document progress. I told my wife I wouldn’t grow this year if I got my jacket last year, which I did, but then spring rolled around and I couldn’t resist the itch to grow! Over the winter I grew a mixed mustard and legume cover crop that was mowed and worked under at the end of March.   Sunday, April 13 View Page Cucumber beetle trap plants got started mid March and are now scattered around the patch in 5 gallon buckets. We start getting cucumber beetles in early April and I’m now killing hundreds every day. It’s no longer legal to purchase imidacloprid or any other neonicotinoids without a commercial applicator license in CA, so this is one tool to hopefully address the problem.   Sunday, April 13 View Page Amendments were spread and tilled in on Saturday after letting the cover crop decompose for a few weeks. 50 gallons of compost tea with 1.5 gal liquid humic and .75 gal MT-17 were sprayed across the patch and tilled in at the same time to get the biology going and speed up cover crop breakdown. My plants will probably stay in the caterpillar tunnel for around a month depending on weather before I remove the plastic and use the hoops for shade cloth support. Seedlings will probably get transplanted in around a week.   Monday, April 21 View Page Plants were tucked into the ground last Friday. I cover them in Agribon for a couple of weeks because I have extreme cucumber beetle pressure and the beetles will destroy seedlings even inside the greenhouse. I’ve added some grow lights to the greenhouse this year to see if I can push the plants a bit. Spot 1 is planted with 2 2465 Dawson, spot 2 has a 2198 and 2154 Sperry, and spot 3 has a 2147 Marshall and 2390 Urena. Will cull down to the best 3.   Sunday, May 11 View Page Plants are about a month old now and looking good. Culls have been made and the chosen plants are the 2465 Dawson, 2154 Sperry, and 2147 Marshall. This is the 2147 with the 2154 in the background. The plants have outgrown their cucumber beetle shelters and are now getting pretty chewed up since they’re unprotected. Just have to hope they can stay virus free!   Sunday, May 11 View Page The buckwheat cover crop on next year’s pumpkin patch is coming along nicely.