When planting seeds in the garden one usually places the seeds closer together than the plants should be when they grow. As a result it is wise, at an early stage of plant growth, to thin the plants out some. The swiss chard was on my list today to thin.
While I was in China the garden was very wet from too much rain and the plants grew without the leaves being harvested for greens. When I got home things began to dry out causing thinning to be high up on my to-do list. I went down both rows and removed most of the leaves and removed some plants where they were too close. The very large leaves I threw away along with bad ones, keeping the good ones for meals. In two or three days there will be a new batch of new tender leaves, which can be eaten in salads or cooked. I find it to be a very delicious vegetable. The end of the second row has some larger leaves that will probably find their way to the dinner plate tomorrow.
I stopped by the squash plants and groaned. The little yellow bug sitting on the leaf is a squash bug. They seem to multiply over night and can do much damage unless they are eliminated. Weeds grow in the garden and bugs eat the veggies. God didn't mean it to be that way, but the disobedience of man made it that way.
On an encouraging note, the next picture shows a squash blossom. If all goes well there will soon be a squash there. I wonder if the squash will be yellow or green. I will let you know.
On my way from the garden I walked by the asparagus patch and realized there is a lot of work to do there. Because of all the rain the weeds and grass didn't get removed when they were small. I will try to get to it in a day or two before it rains again.
My China friends can compare plants.
