An August Evaluation of My Vegetable Backyard – Carol J. Michel
Properly, right here we’re in August already!
Relying on how. your summer season goes you is perhaps grateful that we’re quickly approaching the “season of the pumpkin spice.”
Or possibly you might be in disbelief that it’s already this late within the season since you haven’t planted that final flat of flowers you purchased within the spring.
Or possibly you might be proper right here in August, taking all of it in and having fun with every sizzling day.
I’m within the “proper right here” camp, although time does appear to clip alongside at a fast tempo, doesn’t it? Particularly if you’re one of many youngsters who had to return to highschool this previous week due to one thing known as “balanced faculty yr calendar.” Did they even have time to get good and completely bored these final two months?
Anyway, out within the vegetable backyard, it’s an excellent time to step again and assess the way it’s going, and I’ve finished simply that for The Vegetable Backyard Cathedral.
The image above reveals a number of the harvest from August 1st.
On the plus aspect, this has been a fabulous yr for inexperienced beans! I’ve picked and picked and now I’m type of ignoring the inexperienced bean vegetation as a result of I’ve picked and picked. Plus these later inexperienced beans are typically a bit robust. However I’ve two new rows I planted a number of weeks in the past that will present me with a number of extra inexperienced beans earlier than the top of the season.
Additionally, the scarlet runner beans, which I planted late, are simply beginning to flower.
These are going to be as fairly as marketed! I can’t consider that studying a guide on vegetable gardening written in 1926 satisfied me to develop them in spite of everything these years.
The summer season squashes have been doing effectively sufficient—not nice, however not terrible. One key to the success of these I planted from seed was planting nasturtiums alongside them, additionally from direct-sown seed.
The nasturitums are alleged to offend the squash bugs and maintain them away. I’m all for that they usually appear to have finished simply that as a result of I don’t see lots of squash bugs proper now. Plus the nasturtiums are fairly and edible.
Staying in that very same household as squash, the cucumbers have been a serious disappointment. They appear to have some powdery mildew or different plant illness issues. That is the place higher crop rotation may need been useful as a result of I believe I planted them in the identical mattress the place I grew squash final yr. (Memo to self: maintain higher notes on what was planted in every mattress.).
I do have one cucumber producing effectively, and that’s ‘Fast Snack’ which is rising in a six-inch container on my patio desk. I wrote about it in my lazy cucumber submit. I wish to apologize now to the cucumbers as a result of they aren’t lazy, they’re sick. I ought to simply pull them, however hope springs everlasting that they’ll outgrow no matter is ailing them.
Shifting on…
Within the subsequent raised mattress over from the cucumbers, the tomatoes are doing fairly good. I’m harvesting a number of each few days and have loads, although some have these splits on high which is expounded to haphazard watering. I’m happy with a lot of the varieties too. I have to make one other word to verify my seed stash to make use of a number of the leftover seeds subsequent yr as an alternative of shopping for them once more. They’ll be good for a number of years.
The peppers are doing fairly effectively!
Properly, all are doing effectively besides this one plant. It’s ‘Ruby Big,’ a range I made a decision to strive after studying that 1926 gardening guide. I don’t know why this one is yellow and gained’t develop. One other plant of the identical selection throughout from it’s doing simply superb. All the opposite peppers are doing nice, together with ‘Massive Bertha’ proven on this image subsequent to the ailing ‘Ruby Big.’
Elsewhere within the backyard, the candy corn has been laughable. It’s a small patch and produced fairly small ears of corn. I’m not even positive they’ll be edible however I needed to select them earlier than the raccoons did. (I’m fairly positive the raccoons have been on the market… I blame them for flattening a number of sunflowers to get to the seeds.)
Additionally ridiculous is the okra. I planted ‘White Velvet,’ a range I examine in that 1926 guide. I used to be so excited when I discovered the seeds for it at Southern Publicity Seed Trade that I by chance purchased two packets. (I gave one away at a chat I did within the spring.) I believe I planted them in an excessive amount of shade as a result of they’re in all probability solely about two toes tall and have but to flower. The packet stated they might develop to 10 toes tall. I didn’t anticipate that however I did anticipate taller than then two toes.
Anyway, that’s just about how the summer season vegetable backyard is rising this season. One closing constructive word… I do consider I’ll get some figs this yr.
And possibly some pawpaws, if the raccoons don’t decide them first.
How’s your vegetable backyard doing this yr?
*******
Have you ever subscribed to my new weekly publication, Within the Backyard With Carol? It comes out each Sunday at 7 p.m. Jap time with little tidbits about what’s taking place out and in of my backyard every week. It’s a little bit of journalling, pondering, and sharing of gardening information. I intend it to be a enjoyable, fast learn!
Supply hyperlink
Properly, right here we’re in August already! Relying on how. your summer season goes you is perhaps grateful that we’re quickly approaching the “season of the pumpkin spice.” Or possibly you might be in disbelief that it’s already this late within the season since you haven’t planted that final flat…