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| Zinnias, basil and tomatoes planted in garden bed |
Monday, June 9, 2025
Most of my summer edibles have gotten off to a good start this year. Some of the pepper and tomato plants are flowering. Many of the tomato plants have baby fruits. The large tomato that we bought from a local greenhouse two months ago has several ripe fruits. The bean, okra, eggplant and cucumber plants are growing.
Most of my garden is planted. Tasks now are fertilizing, watering, pest and weed control. There are a few seeds that didn't sprout that have been resown. Soon enjoying the lush growth and harvesting of the summer veggies will be the biggest "task" in the garden.
This last week, I fertilized all my plants. It is good to fertilize when your edibles start flowering. Just my peppers and tomatoes were flowering and fruiting. To keep it simple, I just did them all. Fertilize about monthly in the growing season. Water when you are getting less than inch of rain during the week. Pots need 2-3" per week.
Squash-Both the summer (Trombetta) and winter squash seeds have sprouted in the garden. The winter squash vine is about 4 feet long. Everything you need to know to grow squash
Melons-Of the 4 varieties I planted in the garden, only one has sprouted. I have restarted seeds in pots on the patio. I'll transplant them when they get their first set of true leaves. Melons like it when it's hot so if you sow seeds and it stays cool, they can rot before they sprout.
Eggplant-I started them all from seed this year. I moved them to their large pot summer home about a month ago. I have Rotanda Bianca, AO Daimaru, Turkish Orange and Amadeo seedlings. The plants are still small and have not flowered. Everything you need to know to grow eggplant, in a...
Beans-I started all these vining types from seed in the garden bed. The Christmas Speckles, Red and Purple Yard Long beans have sprouted. The 1500 Year Old and winged bean seeds have not. I have restarted some seeds in small pots and will transplant when the seedlings have their first true set of leaves on them. Growing beans
Cucumber-I am growing Bush Champion and Beit Alpha vining cucumber in the ground this year . The Bush Champion vines are growing well; the Beit Alpha did not sprout so I have restarted them in small pots. Everything you need to know to grow cucumbers, in ...
Tomatoes-I planted the large greenhouse grown plant in a pot, 4 in the garden bed and they all have baby tomatoes on them. I also have a few volunteers popping up in the garden bed and pots.
The 10 seedlings I gave my hubby to grow upside down in 5 gallon buckets with an auto watering system are doing well with lots of baby tomatoes and flowers. With the bucket system, they need daily watering and more frequent fertilizing. He fertilized when he planted a month ago. It is time to fertilize again. You don't want to give too much nitrogen or you will end up with all leaves and no fruits.
Snow peas-I have not gotten any pods this year. They love cool temperatures and lots of moisture. When heat moves in, they give it up. Legumes-peas for spring, beans for summer
Greens-All the chard, spinach, mustards, sprouting broccoli and lettuce that overwintered and those planted in March has bolted. I found some volunteer lettuces and sprouting broccoli in the yard that I dug and transplanted into large pots. I should sow some more lettuce seed. In warm weather, harvest first thing in the morning or after a rain for best tasting leaves. Put in a bowl of water to plump up the leaves.
The amaranth and orach volunteers have sprouted. They will remain sweet all summer long. There are volunteer sprouting broccoli in a range of sizes. They will stay sweet all summer, too. Volunteer Red Malabar and New Zealand spinach love the hot temperatures and are growing quickly. Their leaves can be harvested all summer long as spinach substitutes. Carefree summer salad greens
Herbs-The herbs are growing well-dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, horseradish, onions, and basil. Dill, Egyptian walking onions and oregano have put on flower heads. All do well right to winter except for basil; it dies as soon as the first frost comes. Most winters in our Zone 7 garden, the sage, thyme, oregano, onions can be harvested throughout the winter. I am growing papalo to use as a cilantro substitute. It loves warm weather and is doing great! Start a kitchen herb garden!
Fruits-Had a few strawberries early on. They are ever bloomers so should get fruits throughout the summer. One blueberry bush had a few berries. They were planted last fall so not expecting a big harvest this year. Raspberries and blackberries should be soon.
Flowers-Celosia, daylilies, hydrangeas, petunias, spiderworts, blue morning glory, hollyhocks, lantana, jasmine and zinnias are all blooming in my garden. Many carrots have bolted, creating tall white flowers that look like Queen Ann's Lace. Pollinators just love the small flowers on herbs and carrot flowers. Love Lies Bleeding amaranth, purple coneflower, bee balm, blunt mountain mint, sunflowers, mums, Jerusalem artichokes, basil and thyme flowers should be coming soon.
My pollinator bed is filling in nicely. It has taken 4 years to get it full. It gets a good deal of shade so natives don't grow as quickly as they would if it was a full sun location. Most of the flowers I started from a pollinator mix. I'd sow a few seeds in a pot and when they got big, I'd transplant them. I'd get in 1-2 sowings sowings each summer. I just sowed some more seeds in a pot this week. Since the seeds were free, it only cost me time and patience.
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