July - N&C Midwest

Well, here we are in July! For most of us in this region we should be calculating the days to our first frost and seeing what fall crops we can still sneak in. I plan on getting some broccoli in, and maybe some peas.

My tomatoes, onions, and garlic are growing nicely. So is the bindweed! So far, I think I am winning the war. Carrots had dismal germination, likely due to our flooding downpours washing out the seeds, but I still have several bags in the freezer from last year. Cilantro is going crazy. Peppers are slow to grow, but still healthy and hanging in there.

How are all of your N&C Midwest gardens?

Things here are mostly in the growing mode, not so much harvesting for now.  Picking Lettuce and beets and chard. First handful of blueberries last week
This was the first time I pinched out the center of all 8 pepper plants.  I was scared to do it.  But the plants have really responded nicely with lots more growth - plus warmer temps probably helped too. Next time I might shake the dickens out of the stem too   Its as if these things need a big wake up call.
Rattlesnake beans went beyond the 8 ft. trellis top so this morning I went up there to train them to come back down.  Red Chinese noodle bean tendrils are taking off, Kentucky wonder beans also.
This was the first year having successful lettuce (kept under shade) and it keeps on coming so now I'm sick and tired of lettuce.  Nice problem though.  Tomatoes are loading up with flowers and some little green maters but I planted late... Yukon Gold potatoes are just starting to die back, the flowers finished up, saw 1 potato fruit swinging in the breeze this morning.  Ground cherry plants want to take over the world, discovered I can prune them like crazy and they don't care at all.   Egyptian onions all have bulbils on top, I took these guys out of the sfg put them in the lawn basically where a compost heap had cured, and they are as happy as the weedy lawn in and around them.  Squash and watermelon coming along. 
  The last thing I'll mention for now is Dill.  Can I save it to use later when the cukes are ready for pickling?  I know there are other dishes it can be used for, but I really grew it for pickling.  

It has rained so much this season that I have not watered my garden since the end of May. I will probably have the best onion crop in several years because of the consistent watering they are getting - much more consistent than relying on my hose! The Sweet Orange Romas have some blossoms and the garlic is doing well, but the peppers are still only about 7 inches tall. We topped out at 55F today, not the norm lately, but a nice break from the hot and humid June   . Back to 80's tomorrow. Hope my peppers survive the shock!

Successful Spring Plantings = sugar snap peas, spinach, chard, cabbage, beets, and somewhat carrots.

Spring Fails = cauliflower and broccoli (four of each went to seed before heads developed).

We'll probably be picking our first cucumbers later this week...tomatoes maybe next week.  I have friends 1.5 hrs west already picking ripe tomatoes and they planted way late.

It's also getting to be about the time to start fall seeds indoors (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) in preparation for setting out in late July.

In addition, it was so hot and dry last year that I did not need to double cage my tomatoes in the community garden until the second week of August...tomatoes outgrew double cages this year in late June.

Now is the time to get the canning supplies ready and/or start making room in the deep freeze...as well as tracking down new recipes for pesto, salsa, pickles, slaw, tomato bisque, etc.

The garden is growing great in southern Wisconsin.  Like many in the upper Midwest, we've had ample rainfall, temperatures have been fairly close to normal, and we've avoided severe weather in our backyard (did have a EF1 tornado about 4 miles northeast of our house).  Just some highlights below.

-First 2 Sungolds will be ready to pick tonight.

-Squash blossoms are starting to open.

-Sprouting broccoli and lettuce harvests have been great this year.

-Shade provided by burlap is proving well for summer lettuce.

-Onions and garlic look great.

-Sweet potatoes are really starting to grow (planted June 14).

LM, you can dry the dill to use in pickling or any other use; I will say that dill self sows and grows pretty readily so you will most likely have a supply of fresh when you are ready to pickle.

In my garden the onions are coming up out of the ground but the tops have not started drying. A couple even have flowering bulbs on the top; should I pull them up? Greens, radishes doing well still. Carrots are being succession planted and that is hugely successful. My 'Sugar Lump' cherry tom is almost 5' tall and loaded with blooms and the others all have blooms as well. Need to cut more oregano to dry and make the first batch of pesto soon.

What kind of pesto do you make with oregano? And why dry it first?

I have tons of oregano but no idea what to do with it all, and wouldn't mind a good way to use it up.

Marc Iverson wrote:What kind of pesto do you make with oregano?  And why dry it first?

I have tons of oregano but no idea what to do with it all, and wouldn't mind a good way to use it up.

Sorry, I should have separated those statements. I dry the oregano for winter use; I have 4 basil plants that need cut for the pesto. I did make carrot top pesto and posted about it in the Canning thread.