Where are the peas?? Well, they’re in the garden and the vines are loaded with pods. But, they are not getting fat! Soil temperature, drought-to-downpour, and wildly swinging temperatures have affected many crops. These peas should have given us oodles of peas by now and I should be pulling the plants to give the cherry tomatoes free reign of the trellises. Instead, I’m trimming excess leaves off the pea plants and trying to keep those long, lanky cherry tomato plants somewhat happy occupying the same space. It’ll all work out, but many crops are just simply behind schedule.
The beans are just starting to show signs of setting flowers, and the first rows of beets are filling out. The oldest bed of lettuce is done. It’s now chicken food or compost material. That bed will be cultivated and have compost added before more beans are seeded there. Carrots are up and growing, but they take a while. More will be seeded in a few days, along with more beets and kale.
Tomatoes are, for the most part, doing great! They look taller every day and are starting to branch out in their support cages. I’m impressed with the growth of the new Galahad slicer and the new heirloom, Carbon. The test will be in the fruit. How many, for how long, and how good will they be? Let’s hope that the plant descriptions were reality and not fiction.
Peppers are still a little on the smaller side, and they would just like some consistently warm, not scorching, days. They have shown some growth since I added composted chicken manure at their feet last week. I said “No tiny, sweet peppers this year” but then changed my mind. Ha! There are two in buckets, and they are the smallest plants. There are 5 others but I found a couple of huge planters for them, and so far, it’s been much easier to keep them watered.
Onions are looking good, and tomorrow they will get some more nitrogen to keep them well fed. The broccoli and mini broccoli are a little behind schedule, but the plants look really great. I have some baby broccoli plants to put out in the next couple of days to help extend the harvest. The little patch of small cabbages are starting to form heads. To protect these crops from all of the insects that love brassicas, they are in the small hoop house with light shade cloth over it to keep most insects out. It works, but it limits how much clean broccoli and cabbage we can grow.
Sunflowers, zinnias, and celosia are doing really well in the new beds near the raspberries. More sunflowers and zinnias will get seeded in a week to keep them coming. Many of the other cutting flowers that were set out got eaten by a bunny! I’ll seed some again and spray the stinky deer and rabbit repellent.
Zucchini and yellow squash plants were set out kind of early when soil temperatures were good, and they’ve done so well! They have shallow roots, so they feel the warmth of the sun much easier than deep-rooted plants. Yellow squash should start maturing next week, and both should be coming for quite a while. There’s a second seeding of them already and those plants are growing quickly!
As for fall squash, I need to pull out the seed packets and find the “days to maturity” and calculate when to seed. Some will probably go in next week, and others will follow through the first week of July. I have acorn and butternut squash, small pie pumpkins, and decorative gourds. If I can find a spot and build a temporary trellis, there are some small spaghetti squash seeds from last year. Oh – I’ve been snacking on some red raspberries for a couple of days! The heat next week will probably ripen more. There’s nothing quite like eating a warm raspberry right off the plant.
Let’s talk about garden maintenance for the week. Of course, there’s weeding on the list. It’s always there each week. I did see a couple of army worms this week, so it’s time to keep the creepy crawlers away from the tomato and pepper plants. They live in the soil, so in order for them to eat the plants, they need access. Typically, they crawl up the stem or use any leaves that are touching the soil as a way to get to the good stuff. So, trim the lower leaves back and/or tuck them up into your support cage to keep them away from the soil. Next, put out coffee grounds or crushed eggshells around the base of the plants. Both are sharp and will rip open soft-bodied crawlers. The crawlers either avoid the area or die trying to get to the plants. Either option is a win for us!
It’s time to add organic nitrogen to your greens and onion crops. Our rains have compacted and flattened the beds, so lightly cultivate them open and it’s the perfect time to make watering rings around tomatoes and peppers. Think of making a moat that will hold water and allow it to absorb at the drip line of the plants. You can use your hands, a hoe, a hand tool – anything really. Just make a shallow ring around the outer perimeter of the plant. Trust me, it makes a difference. You’ll see it when you water. Instead of running to the lowest spot, it will stay at the base of the plant and filter down to the roots and makes your watering much more effective. If you have compost or bedding mix, you could add that under the plants now, too.
Did you deadhead all your flowers? Get out and get that done before high heat rolls in late next week. I have one lilac left to do and tomorrow may be the day. Look at your tall sedum plants and if they’re big, it’s time to cut them back. If your friendly deer have already done this, skip this paragraph. Don’t worry. It’ll be alright. Cutting them down to about half their size will cause them to send out new stems, have slightly shorter height at maturity, have more flower heads (slightly smaller), and they’ll stay standing through the winter so much better. If you grow sedum, you’re probably used to seeing them flop open with those huge flower heads late in the season, well, by doing this renewal pruning, you avoid the flopping because the plant can hold them up. Don’t pitch those cuttings! Stick them in some pots or in the ground and water for a week and you’ll have new plants.
As always, if you want or need something from the gardens, get in touch. If you need help with a plant or critter problem, I’ll do my best to help with that too! Get out and get your hands in the soil (it’s not dirt unless it is tracked into the house) and enjoy the gardens!