Urban Gardener Weekend Update: Watering system beats the heat; where are the cukes?

We spent this fourth of July weekend enjoying a different kind of garden, the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)  cooperative in New Paltz, where we were visiting friends. What a great way to get fresh produce while letting someone else do the digging and weeding. The CSA was distributing Swiss chard, zucchini, beets, radishes, purple onions and a few other farm fresh veggies, Our hosts prepared truly gourmet meals every night creatively using all the green ingredients. I'll be posting more on that later in the week.

Meanwhile, with the temperatures nearing 100 degrees in Manhattan, our wondrous watering system allowed us the flexibility to garden in absentia. We purchased parts from The Drip Store  on the advice of our neighbor and fellow gardener Jan. My husband Mitch assembled the system two years ago. After our terrace renovation, we had to replace a few parts, and we added PVC tubing to cover the length of our terrace using elbow joints to go around the corners.

We've set the timer to go off twice a day, at 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. for five minutes each time.

We adjust the drip system to provide less water to the lettuce seedlings

Watering the basil requires a more robust flow

The Cherokee Purple and other tomato plants require the most water in our garden.

While we tried to keep cool in Lake Minewaska, the plants really thrived in the heat. The eggplants exploded with ripe fruit that is ready for harvest.  The tomato plants must've grown several inches taller and we have plenty of green tomatoes growing fast. One concern: our cucumbers are flowering, but so far, no fruit. As the cukes are a new vegetable for us, I don't know if they're slow to fruit or just not getting the right stuff. If anyone knows about growing cukes, please leave a post on the site with your advice!

Urban Gardener Weekend Update: Automation!

Sprinkler systems aren't just for the suburbs! This weekend we set up our own automated watering system, which gives us the ability to get away on weekends without having to hire a babysitter. We first automated in 2008. That's when we purchased everything from a timer to PVC tubing from The Drip Store . The system includes small stakes with adjustable heads that drip water into our pots. This way, we can set the timer to water in the early morning, for about five minutes, and adjust the flow individually for each plant. This year, we have more crops, so we expanded the system to encircle our entire terrace.
Our total investment over the two years has come to about $150, a small price to pay. With our sprinklers in place, there's no more early morning wake ups for watering before work. No rushing home in the evening on blistering hot days. The garden is on auto pilot.
Of course, we still have to weed and fertilize; we have to defend against bug infestations and plant diseases. But the day-to-day basics are taken care of.
We've already begun to enjoy the fruits of our labor. I harvested plenty of lettuce, cilantro, parsley and basil this weekend for a healthy salad. We also spotted our first bell pepper growing. The eggplants and tomatoes are beginning to flower and could be ripe for the picking in a few weeks or so. Can't wait!