Sneaky Zucchini in my Organic Garden!

White Wonder Cucumber

My garden has surprised me several times this year:  cucumbers are popping up all over, tomatoes are finally swelling on the vines, and, ta-da!, zucchini were hiding at the bottom of several plants!

I happily sent them home with my daughter, for whom I planted them.  All of the squash and zucchini are loaded with blooms, so she (and I, and my neighbors, and my co-workers) should be well-supplied.

Edmonson or Sumter Cucumber

With the development of the tomatoes, the tomato hornworms have also arrived, so a primary task each garden day is patrolling for and eradicating the pests.  My cousin collects hers and uses them as chicken treats, but I've just dispatched mine to their eternal reward.  The San Marzanos have been the surprise of the season, with the Rutgers following close behind.  I was a bit worried about my tomatoes being so late until I spoke to a few local market growers whose crops are also late.  I feel some better now.

Early mornings have been surprisingly cool.

The Contender beans have produced almost a peck of beans, so I'll be able to freeze a batch soon.  The Calima beans are just now producing so it will be a week or two before the beans are ready.  The Mandy pole beans have been very slow to grow and are barely blooming.  I hope to have some by the end of the month.

My plan to combat grass and weeds with mulch has been derailed by a lack of mulch.  This means the nutgrass has run rampant in the beds, as you can see in the cucumber picture above.  I need a new plan.  I hate pulling grass, but I'll have to do it, or live with the grass until the fall changeover.  Or both.

Peppers, cucumbers, & zucchini!

Update:  I'm living with the grass, kind of.  I pull it sometimes, but, mostly, just rummage around in it, looking for the vegetables.  Next year, I absolutely must put down plastic!

So much to do--I'm off to can (purchased) tomatoes!

What's growing in your Savory garden?

Nancy

Garden Firsts in the First Week of July

Tiny Tennessee Cheese Peppers!

First Filet Beans

The first week of July has brought a number of firsts to the garden!  The first sweet peppers have swelled to the size of ping-pong balls despite the small stature of the plants.  They are planted in a "new" bed whose soil may not be as friable.

The Dragon's Tongue beans and Calima filet beans are putting on their first fruit and I should be harvesting some of the filet beans later in the week.

The first cucumber!

Tiny figs!

The squash are blooming profusely, and I was surprised yesterday by the first zucchini peeking from the grass and foliage.  If all of the blooms "make," I'll have enough squash & zucchini for several families!

The cucumbers have begun climbing the trellis fence and the very first tiny cucumber has swelled on the stem!  The vines are loaded with blooms so the crop should be plentiful.  Hopefully, it will be since my daughter has consumed nearly all of the dill pickles I put up last year!

First zucchini; actually, there are two!

Dragon's Tongue beans

The fig trees (two are growing together) are developing tiny little green figs.  Last year's crop of two (yes, only two) figs has already been surpassed if the fruit ripens.  I hope to need fig recipes come fall.  Every time I smell the tree, I think of my grandmother who lovingly tended her fig tree as long as she was able.

So, it's the calm before the storm.  Soon, the produce will be ready and I'll be canning and freezing.  I cannot wait!  Until then, I'll be watering and weeding.  And waiting.

What about you?  What's growing in your Savory garden?

Nancy

June wanes, July waxes in my organic garden

The fence is completely screened by the hibiscus and day lilies.

The heat and humidity have really settled on the farm like a hot, wet blanket which means the day lilies and the hibiscus (and the weeds) are thriving.  A busy week kept me out of the garden last week and this morning brought some surprises.  The pleasant surprises were peppers, tiny tomatoes, and blooms on the squash, cucumbers, and beans.  The unpleasant surprise was the inevitable incursion of nutgrass and purslane.

The turmeric (near) seems to be doing better than the ginger (rear).

The turmeric is adapting well to the heat, but does expect to be watered almost every day.  The early shoots were scalded by the hot sun, but most have rebounded after watering.  Given the long growing season both ginger and turmeric require, I'm already planning a low tunnel to stave off the cold nights which will come in November.

The squash seems to be thriving, despite the grass.

No squash bugs, so far, but I saw the first marmorated stink bug on the driveway this week.  My cousin has suggested daily dousing with a tea made of garlic and geranium oil.  What do you think?

A tiny cabbage!

The Resident Dragon is most excited about the development of the tiny cabbage.  It's been so hot, I fear that the heads will never form, and am already planning to plant more in the fall.

The beginning of a broccoli floret!

My daughter is excited to know that the broccoli is developing.  The broccoli in my father-in-law's garden seems to be bolting (from the heat, I suspect).  I'm hoping to avoid the same fate.

The currant tomatoes are loaded with blooms!

Once again, the currant tomatoes are thriving while the others are lagging behind.  Some are blooming, but there are only two ping-pong-ball-sized tomatoes maturing.  This means it's time to add bone meal to help with fruit set and to ward off blossom-end-rot.

The cucumbers and beans are blooming well.

Three varieties of cucumbers means I will be pickling and sharing this year.  My daughter likes to snack on cucumbers so I'll be sending some home with her.

These heirloom beans thrive in the heat!

We're growing green/filet beans as well as dragon's tongue and kidney beans this year.  I hope to dry the dragon's tongue and kidney beans, but will probably freeze the others.  The little pods are about an inch long!

The blackberry primocanes are growing tall.

The blackberries are finally in full season and that means the RD is still enjoying his "drive-by" snacks as he rides past on the lawn mower.  Oddly enough, the blackberry bramble is the best-mowed area of the yard!  We've harvested enough to freeze about 3 quarts, with more still on the canes.

It's time to tie up and tip the blackberry primocanes
so they will produce lateral canes and more fruit next year.

The primocanes are flourishing and I "tipped" them 4" above the top trellis wire this week and tied the remaining cane to the trellis.  I'm trying to root the cuttings to expand the bramble next year.

It's July, which means it's about time to start seeds for the fall garden.  Do you have any suggestions?  I'd like to try some onions again, but I've just not had much luck with them.  What do you think?

What about you?  What's growing in your Savory garden?

Nancy