Early July Garden Update

Well it’s the first week of July and the garden is coming along rather nicely.  I’m trying to keep up with everything, pulling weeds by day, and spraying slugs by night.

I go out each night with a flashlight & a spray bottle of very diluted ammonia solution.  It’s a non-toxic way to deal with the slugs that only come out at night and chew on my plants.  The last few nights the mosquitoes have been just vicious.

Firstly the Tomatoes are really doing great.  The plants are dark green, and starting to fill out with yellow blossoms and some green tomatoes.  I’m growing seven varieties of tomatoes, including Red & Yellow Jellybean (grape size), red Early Girl (medium size), yellow Lemon Boy (medium size), red Big Beef (large size), and orange Sunny Goliath (large size).  I’m really starting to get hungry for some Tomatoes; I can’t wait.

My Onions are also looking really good.  I pulled one of the largest sweet onions; the bulb had grown to the size of a golf ball and the green tops were 2 feet long.  I have 200 Onions planted in five varieties; sweet white Walla-Walla, and white, yellow, & red long storage types.  I’m also growing a very strong flavored Italian cooking Onion called Cipolini.

The Leeks, Carrots, Beets are coming along slowly, but they take time to mature.  I had planted some Daikon Radishes that grow long like a white carrot.  They are starting to bolt because I planted them late, and the warm temperatures are also making them quote hot.

My Pole Beans are sending up runners and climbing the poles in my tee-pees, and my Green & Yellow Bush Beans are in full blossom.  My edible pod Peas are also blossoming now.  I have three hills of Zucchini Squash which have grown really huge, and the Cucumbers are starting to blossom while the vines spread out.

In my Cabbage row I have Broccoli starting to bud, Green Cabbage almost ready to head up, Red Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, & Bok Choy.  I lost a few Cabbage plants a few weeks ago when we got several inches of rain.  They are planted in a low area in the garden, combined with the mulch prevented the soil from drying out and caused root rot.  I’ve been using the Bok Choy leaves like Lettuce, & the stalks like Celery; it may be my new favorite vegetable.

Lastly, the Herbs are doing really good.  I have two kinds of Parsley growing, flat leaf, and moss curled, and my Basil plants are a foot tall.  I’m looking forward to making Italian Pesto for use on pasta later this summer, as well as making some home made spices by drying them in my dehydrator.

You can view the large pictures by clicking on any thumbnail image below.

Labels: Home and Garden