Upper South: June 2012 gardening

I am enjoying this "cool " down period. It's 5:30am and still raining! I've gotten some beans, cumcumbers,tomatoes and garlic planted now. Still have my expansion boxes to build but having a sinus infection has slowed me down this past week. I"m currently harvesting red rommaine lettuce and kale everyday, we're use it for tortoise food. Felix is loving it!

Hope you feel better from your sinus infection, I've had it too and it can be nasty...Yes, the cool down is enjoyable. I was able to finish planting blueberries, and late yesterday planted the last box when it was cloudy and cool - my favorite kind of outdoors.
Also harvested spinach, chard, strawberries, and chives.

Today I got brave and pinched all of my tomato plants! They look so healthy but look a bit leggy (I suspect because I don't have uber-abundant sun). They're all indeterminates, so hopefully it will help! I didn't do terribly much; hopefully enough to help.

The crazy 100 degree heat we got last week had me in a total panic since I still have some cole crops and growing babies out there, so when the 2 days of rain and cooler temps came through I sat back and had a sigh of relief! It did jump back up into the 80's today, but somehow still felt decently cool so for now I'll just keep the cheese cloth tents over the lettuce and spinach until the squash, zucchini, and beans can lend them a shady hand

As for everything else, they're loving this heat. Have already gotten a couple yellow squash picked, and I am in full stalker mode waiting for the first tomatoes to ripen up! All of the 'mater plants are covered in round, green goodies and I am an official MM believer now because of the impending early harvest

Now to just keep those most evil vine borers from undoing my precious zucchini and squash...have already been slicing and squishing! *sigh* Oh well, I'll just make sure I have my late planting ready to go should my early birds get eaten by the worms!

rjeverett wrote:Now to just keep those most evil vine borers from undoing my precious zucchini and squash...have already been slicing and squishing! *sigh* Oh well, I'll just make sure I have my late planting ready to go should my early birds get eaten by the worms!

I have been trying to eradicate the ones that have tried to take up residence in my squash also. It is so hard to convince yourself that slicing through the stem of your plant could be good for it! I also planted some new squash and zucchini seeds yesterday to provide backup in case my efforts turn out to be futile. I have several yellow squash on the vine already. There are 2 that I will probably pick today. So far, my zucchini has not had any female flowers open, but it will soon.

garlic is really taken off. Still need to work on the garden expansion. Temps heading back to 90+ this weekend.

Nice job on the gardening. I have read that placing foil around the stem of the squash keeps the bugs from getting to it. I saved my yogurt foil for that but haven't used it yet. Also some people cover their squash with a light row cover that allows rain and light in til it starts to flower and then uncover for pollination.

How is everyone doing with this excessive heat and now that crazy storm that just went thru? I'm watering more to get my cukes/tomatoes thru this heat wave.