To read more about how my garden is growing this season check out my past Garden Journals from this season:
Welcome back to the garden! This is surely an odd growing season as far as the weather goes. Since my last entry we’ve had more sun and myself and my plants are very grateful!
Sugar Snap Peas
We harvested enough for fresh snacking for a couple of weeks and now the plants have succumbed
to the heat. On my on going mental to do list is to pull them and amend the soil with compost.
Onions
These plants are doing great! The bulbs are really putting on some size. I’m working to keep the soil around the bulb pushed away so the bulb can put on size.
Carrots
I have a couple of plantings of carrots and the first one is doing great. Second one not so well and the third is just beginning to put on some growth. I plan to put another planting in where the recently harvested garlic was growing.
Cabbage
These are heading up beautifully! I harvested the first one for dinner yesterday and aim to make some sauerkraut with a couple of the others.
Beets
My beets aren’t doing great. I have a couple of plantings and nothing is growing very consistently. I will plant some more and hopefully get a good fall crop.
Broccoli
The plants are looking beautiful but I was worried it was too hot and they were going to seed or dormant. I did some research whether or not I should pull them and decided to leave them be . Lo and behold I found some heads forming while watering last night! Very excited! I directly sowed some seeds and those seedlings are gaining some growth. I plan to put some more seeds in the ground as well.
Cauliflower
Unfortunately these plants bolted before I harvested them. It was just too hot for them. I think I have some seeds hanging around so I may try for a fall harvest.
Garlic
I pulled my garlic this past week and harvested 127 heads! Some are fairly small but I’ll use those up first. The larger heads will be seed for my fall planting. The bulbs are drying on shelving in the upstairs of our barn. Out of the sun with airflow cures the garlic before storage.
Tomatoes
These plants are doing great even though they are not enjoying my Florida weave method of trellising. They are pretty flopped over but I”m hoping the fact that I planted two rows to the outside of the raised bed will still allow enough airflow. Lots of fruit ripening and lots of flowers so I’m hoping to start harvesting in the next couple of weeks.
Cucumbers
These are finally taking off and climbing up the fencing! We have harvested one small, but yummy cucumber so far. Several other buds and small cukes are forming so we’ll be patient.
Pumpkins
These crops are putting on some great growth. I am battling cucumber beetles and squash bugs but hoping to keep them at bay. I check the back of the leaves every day and squash any of the eggs and also kill any bugs that are crawling around.
Buttternut Squash and Birdhouse Gourd
I dont know what happened but these are totally stopped growing. I plan to purchase a few butternut squash from a local farm and store them to have through the year.
Beans
Though they aren’t quite filling in the arch as I envisioned, the plants are growing, budding and just starting to produce now. I will start picking and prepping to freeze soon.
Zucchini
The two plants I have are staying quite small but have buds and small fruit coming.
Lettuce/Spinach/Kale
It’s too hot for lettuce but I’m still harvesting spinach and kale. I’ll put in another planting of lettuce when temperatures go down a bit.
Flowers
The dahlias are putting on their show and it is wonderful! My containers of petunias are doing great and gomphrena is right out my back door so I enjoying them when I’m in the kitchen. The drip watering system has been fantastic.
I have lots of weeds to stay on top of and some of my goal are getting hit so I am glad for the season so far. The weather gives us so many opportunities to learn about our crops. Thanks for coming by the July garden! I’ll keep things updated when harvest time is really in full swing!
