What's happening in the late June edible garden

Zinnias, basil and tomatoes planted in garden bed

Saturday, June 24, 2023

 

My summer edible garden has gotten off to a slower start this year.  The summer seeds I started took forever to sprout and have been growing about the speed of molasses!  Luckily, a neighbor had extra tomato seedlings and those are growing well and we got our first ripe tomatoes last week end! 

I read descriptors and articles on the most heat tolerant lettuces there are and I keep trying new ones to find the ones that last the longest in my summer garden.  

For the rest of the summer lovers like squash, beans, peppers and eggplant, it is a similar story for all that I grew from seed.  

Squash-I have volunteers that are flowering, but only male flowers so far so no baby fruits yet.  For the seeds I started, the Trombetta summer squash has started to flower, the Potato and Warsaw spaghetti winter squash plants are growing well, but no flowers yet.  Everything you need to know to grow squash

Eggplant-the seeds I started on May 7th have very small plants.  I started them in peat pods, then moved to 4" pots and finally to their final large sized pots on June 9.  The seedlings are still small but growing.  I have Rotanda Bianca, AO Daimaru, and Amadeo seedlings.  I also bought an Ichiban Japanese eggplant that had a fruit already on it and transplanted it into a large pot.  It is doing well, but no additional flowers or fruits yet.  Tranplants first grow down before they grow up, making sure the plant has the root system to support growth and fruiting.  Everything you need to know to grow eggplant, in a...

Beans-I started all these vining types from seed in extra large pots with a trellis, Blauhilde-purple snap bean, Urizun Japanese winged bean, 1500 Year Old bean that can be harvested fresh for snap beans or left on the vine for shelled beans, and Christmas Speckles heirloom lima bean.  The winged bean is slowing growing; it is always the last to take off as it thrives only in hot weather.  The 1500 Year Old bean is growing quite well but has no flowers or beans yet.  Christmas Speckles has flowers and pods.  I have been harvesting a few snap beans from Blauhilde for a couple of weeks now.  Growing beans

Cucumber-I am growing Bush Champion this year in an extra large pot.  The first seed I planted sprouted about a month ago but has not grown beyond its first 2 seed leaves so I planted another seed a couple of weeks ago and it has sprouted.  Everything you need to know to grow cucumbers, in ...

Tomatoes-I am growing 14 in the garden bed and my hubby is growing 10 upside down in 5 gallon buckets with an auto watering system.  His is nice, green and bushy with many, many small tomatoes.  Mine don't have as many leaves and less but much larger tomatoes.  We've harvested ripe tomatoes from both systems.  We've both been fertilizing the same.  He waters twice a day and I water only when there has not been any rain during the week.  When a plant is not as green as it has been, I will hand water with fish fertilizer.  That seems to be working well.  You don't want to give too much nitrogen or you will end up with all leaves and no fruits.  

Everything you need to know to grow tomatoes

Snow peas-most are drying up.  Have a couple that are still giving pods.  Peas are spring lovers.  They love cool temperatures and lots of moisture.  They'll be done producing shortly.  Legumes-peas for spring, beans for summer

Greens-All the spinach, all the mustards, all the Chinese cabbage and all the lettuce planted since April has bolted.  There are a few younger lettuce plants that have not bolted.  Usually, the Red Sails and Butter King stay sweet after bolting.  Harvest first thing in the morning or after a rain for best tasting leaves.  The amaranth and orach are producing seed stalks but they will remain sweet all summer long.  The chard planted last month is still small.  The volunteer sprouting broccoli is only about 6' high.  They are big enough to start harvesting leaves.  They will stay sweet all summer, too.  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-Cilantro has bolted; it is a cool temperature lover.  The rest of the herbs are growing well-dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, horseradish, and basil.  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 can be harvested throughout the winter.  Start a kitchen herb garden!

Flowers-Celosia, Love Lies Bleeding amaranth, daylilies, purple coneflower, bee balm, hydrangeas, blunt mountain mint, sunflowers, petunias, mums, spiderworts, blue morning glory, hollyhocks, lantana, gardenia, and zinnias are all blooming in my garden.  My thyme is covered in blooms as well.  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.  It looks like I have one butterflyweed plant growing from the 2009 seeds I sowed in a pot.  I sowed another round of new seeds to see if I can get some more going for my pollinator bed.