June 2014 in the Lower South

Weather has been all over the place.  Nineties one week, lows in the fifties the next.  Hopefully June will do what it normally does, just get hot.

My house has not had any rain in 3 weeks, yet all around me has had storms.  Norfolk even had flooding.  

My garden is doing well.  The zukes are starting to flower - all female blossoms at this time.  The yellow squash is putting up some bloom stalks and I see a few males there.  May have to get the old paint brush out as I have not seen any bees in the yard all spring.  I know I don't have a lot of blooming flowers, but I do have some and the yard has a lot of clover and dandelions.  

Only planned to have 8 tomatoes this year and bought 5 plants as I was not home to start seeds early.  I did start some san marzano seeds that sprouted and are now doing well in their buckets.  WELL, because of all the volunteers, I have 14 in buckets, 1 in the cuke squares, 1 in the squash squares, 1 in a flower pot, and what I hope is a sun gold cherry in a solo cup waiting for the peas to play out so it can join the cukes on the former pea trellis.  And I just pulled up 3 more volunteers from a bed this morning.

Bok choi, spinach, and most of the lettuce has bolted.  Broccoli is done for.  Mustard greens look like the next hot spell will be it for them.  Kale is looking good.  I can usually keep it going over the summer and then it comes back really strong in the fall and sometimes overwinters.

Watermelons and cantaloupe are climbing their cattle panels.  I see some watermelon blooms getting ready to open, but they are all female.  Cantaloupe should start blooming soon.  Again, I may have to get out a paint brush.  NO BEES.

Does anyone know anything about citrus plants.  I have 3 key limes and 2 calamansi plants, all started from seed.  The 2 yr old key limes are bushy, but the 1 yr old calamansi are just one straight stalk about 3 ft high.  If I pinch out the very tip will it bush out?

I'm putting the thai basil in the flower bed again this year.  It looked so pretty last year.

I cut back on peppers this year.  I have just 6 sweet peppers and 6 hot peppers this year.  But I do have some super hot scorpians from my own seed again this year as well as my favorite cayenne.

I've been following the individual threads from several of the lower south gardeners and everybody seems to be doing well.  Keep up the good work and let us know what triumphs and disappointments you face in June.

Kay

WE are getting some rain finally.  Last week I pulled up a lot of the lettuces.  UGG bitter.  The cement mixing tub that had radishes, red lettuce and garlic became empty and I moved it under a river birch tree that has filtered shade and replanted radishes and lettuce, some of which has already sprouted.

Snap peas are almost ready to pull.  I'm delaying as long as I can because I was so late planting this year and I really like my peas.  Decided not to wait for the peas to finish to start more cukes, so planted 4 in 2 buckets and set up another trellis for them.  However I really need to get more pole beans planted and that is their space.

Squash, cukes, watermelons, and cantaloupe are blooming and a BEE finally showed up in my garden.  I have been playing bee and do have some squash setting fruit.  Eggplant set some fruit, so something pollinated.

Baby peppers and tomatoes on all the purchased plants.  Blooms on the seeded and volunteer tomatoes.  The seeded hot peppers are alive and that's about all I can say about them.

Chard is coming along well.  

All you Lower South gardeners, keep posting.  Either here or on your own threads.  I am following your efforts.

Kay

I getting squash and zucchinis green beans and already harvested radishes. My garlic didn't fair well so I'm digging them up and planting something different. This is my first SFG and I am learning. Next year I will know not to plant my squash where I did and put it on an outer edge instead.They grow like crazy and shade other plants too much.

Picked my first squash last evening in the rain.  3 eating sized yellow ones.  i also have 2 zukes almost ready. I'm letting them get a bit bigger for making pickles.  Lots of acorn squash on the vines.

Two watermelons have gotten bigger than marbles.  Last year I only  got baseball size or less.  Hoping for a better year.  No cantaloupes, but lots of blooms.  No cukes but lots of blooms.  

Garlic has dried in the garage and I'll put it into its storage bag today.  Disappointed in the size, but it is what it is.

Clearing out all the bok choy.  Mustard greens will be the next to go.  I can only eat so much, but I have a neighbor that likes my extras.

Collards are not doing well this year, but I'll give them a chance.  The centers are still alive.  Just the outer leaves turning brown and drying up.  No bugs or worms evident and they are still under tulle.  I'm going to try a top dressing with 5 blend.

Long beans are forming blossom buds and have crawled up their trellis very nicely.  Limas are still small, but were planted much later.  Early maturing blue lake pole beans (62 days) are scheduled to replace the snap peas.  Has anyone ever tried them???

Kay

Popo wrote:I getting squash and zucchinis green beans and already harvested radishes. My garlic didn't fair well so I'm digging them up and planting something different. This is my first SFG and I am learning. Next year I will know not to plant my squash where I did and put it on an outer edge instead.They grow like crazy and shade other plants too much.

Good for you Popo.  Yes squash can really take over a bed.  I plant mine on the edges and let them lean over or tie them to a trellis to keep them to the side.  I will also trim a leaf or two that are overshadowing the middle squares.

Kay

Kay - Wow, your watermelon, cantaloupe and squash are much further ahead than mine.  I still don't have any flowers.  I guess I planted them way later than you.  Except they do get a lot of shade in the morning.  I planted my cucs a lot earlier and have some almost ready to harvest.  My garlic was also small and pitiful.  My shallots are still growing but the tips of the leaves are getting brown.  My rattlesnake beans, dragon tongue, and royal burgundy beans are just about ready for the table.  I have been picking a few and munching on them in the garden as I walk around and inspect the garden.