Welcome back.
Although it's hard to believe. August is now here and the garden is nearing it's peak. After the very wet June and first half of July, it has finally started to dry out. The garden is actually nearing the point where it may need watering. I haven't watered since May, except for when I first transplanted plants or planted seeds.
As you have read in my previous posts, we have been enjoying many vegetables so far this season including lettuce, radishes, kale, peas, peppers, beans, and squash.
I finally have stated picking tomatoes. This is always a much anticipated moment especially if you are a tomato lover. I have been picking grape tomatoes for the last several weeks. Today I picked a few heirloom tomatoes as well that are not quite ripe but will finish ripening in the house. The plants have been affected by blight again this year, but remain healthy enough at this point where I should be able to enjoy a decent crop.
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| Zucchini, Round Yellow Squash, Grape and Heirloom Tomatoes |
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| Sample of Vegetables Picked |
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| Grape Tomatoes On the Vine |
This week I have also been doing some mid season cleanup. In addition to a thorough weeding job, I pulled out the peas and radishes, and also some romaine lettuce plants which had bolted in the heat to about 3 feet tall. It is always a good idea to try to keep the garden tidy as the season progresses. It's not absolutely necessary but it makes the fall cleanup process much easier. I don't always get time, but luckily I did this week.
Another advantage to the clean up is creating space to plant some late season/fall crops. Over the next few weeks I will plant some lettuce/greens to enjoy in September. As the days get cooler, lettuce/greens will thrive much like do at the beginning of the growing season.
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| Cleaning Up the Peas |
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| Portugal Peppers (Hot) |
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| Sunflower Delight |
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| Rainbow's End |
In my next post I will talk about harvesting some onions and planting some fall crops. As always, thanks for reading my blog.
