Re: North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016

**Scorpio Rising** 7/17/2016, 10:56 pm

AM, I have Aunt Molly's from CC! They are slow to germinate, but I had 3 of 4 eventually come up.

I can't wait to try a jalapeño, ground cherry, and lime/cilantro salsa!

herblover 7/18/2016, 9:27 am

If someone could come take a look at my garden and tell me what's happening....crazy life right now, haven't been out to the garden in a week. The tomatoes are awesome, loaded and the cherry varieties beginning to ripen.

Suzy 7/23/2016, 3:52 pm

I spent the last week in the woods of Wisconsin, playing with a slew of Grandchildren and thinking about my garden back home... I came home to pole beans hanging from my arch, one cucumber, a dozen or so ripe tomatoes. My broccoli just keeps growing leaves, there are no developing heads on any of my six plants. What gives?? And SR, I have potatoes! Well, plants at least. I'm very excited! It's been SOOOOO hot & humid here! But I haven't had to water at all - God has been supplying all the rain I've needed. Smile

**Scorpio Rising** 7/23/2016, 6:29 pm

Herblover, I know what your mean! I have been gone, came home today....still trying to figure out what's going on! Saw some maters out there...

Suzy, I too just spent a week on vacay in the Gulf! Came home today. We did not get rain, but things look alive. At least from afar! My SFG is in my back yard...about 50 yds. from the house. My taters are up, too! Wish we had a good rain, but will have to help it along.

Will douse myself in DEET in the AM and do a through watering and inventory! Bet some veggies will be on the menu tomorrow night! I did check the side "Annex" in the containers, dry but a couple melons visible!

Has been hot here, and basically everywhere.

landarch 7/24/2016, 4:17 pm

I have given up on broccoli and cauliflower...year after year I pour time into starting seeds indoors, lighting set-up, potting up, planting, battling the cabbage worms, etc...only to have leafy plants with no heads. I have harvest a few small heads but not worth the work and space they take in the garden. This fall I'll concentrate on Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, Tatsoi, Toy Choy, beets, carrots, beans, etc.

I need to turn one compost pile and sift/screen another in prep for planting squares for fall.

I may also get some new cuke seeds started...not sure there's enough time before fall, unless the temps stay above average in the coming months.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/24/2016, 6:23 pm

landarch wrote:I have given up on broccoli and cauliflower...year after year I pour time into starting seeds indoors, lighting set-up, potting up, planting, battling the cabbage worms, etc...only to have leafy plants with no heads. I have harvest a few small heads but not worth the work and space they take in the garden. This fall I'll concentrate on Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, Tatsoi, Toy Choy, beets, carrots, beans, etc.

I need to turn one compost pile and sift/screen another in prep for planting squares for fall.

I may also get some new cuke seeds started...not sure there's enough time before fall, unless the temps stay above average in the coming months.

I have never grown them. They are a whole square for the whole summer, so I agree, unless you have tons of space, not sure if it is worth it....especially if not heading up properly!

I have so many Patty pan squash coming out of my compost pile, I wonder if the local food bank takes fresh? I mean a ton!

CapeCoddess 7/25/2016, 11:33 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:

I have so many Patty pan squash coming out of my compost pile, I wonder if the local food bank takes fresh? I mean a ton!

Well that's just mean to post that, SR. Sad

jk...

Those babies must be wicked hardy. If you save seeds, can I trade with ya? Might be just the shove I need to try again.

CC

**Scorpio Rising** 7/25/2016, 5:56 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:

I have so many Patty pan squash coming out of my compost pile, I wonder if the local food bank takes fresh? I mean a ton!

Well that's just mean to post that, SR. jk...
Those babies must be wicked hardy. If you save seeds, can I trade with ya? Might be just the shove I need to try again.

CC

Absolutely' CC! I will have a bunch of seeds!

landarch 7/25/2016, 10:05 pm

picked some Health Kick tomatoes...peppers and onions have been waiting for pico de gallo.
North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 Kick10

**Scorpio Rising** 7/25/2016, 10:17 pm

Nice! They look similar to Romas? Do they have extra vitamins and such?

**AtlantaMarie** 7/26/2016, 8:24 am

And how's the acid level? Are they very "sharp"?

CapeCoddess 7/26/2016, 10:32 am

So pretty!

Scorpio Rising wrote:Nice! They look similar to Romas? Do they have extra vitamins and such?

Yeah, what is it that gives them that name?
CC

landarch 7/26/2016, 1:45 pm

Health Kick is a productive Roma-type tomato that has 2x lycopene than a typical tomato. It's a determinate tomato so it doesn't need a large trellis/cage...and it gets loaded with relatively large, meaty fruits. Being a hybrid, I think the taste is pretty good...mostly use it for salsa, guacamole, picl de gallo, etc. The heat put a dent in my other tomato types...these may be the saving grace so far this year. I do have a couple san marzano plants I put in late that are full of developing fruit...late enough to escape early cold rains, early blight, etc...and a bit shaded, which could be a good thing this year.

This is not my pic but this is typical of Health Kick tomatoes...
North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 604410

North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 604410

**Scorpio Rising** 7/26/2016, 5:44 pm

Interesting! I think the mystery tomatoes on my south annex (containers) are determinate, they are more well behaved than the ones in the 4x4.....we will see!

Anybody starting lettuce or spinach yet? Or radishes/turnips?

countrynaturals 7/26/2016, 10:58 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Anybody starting lettuce or spinach yet? Or radishes/turnips?

As soon as this heat wave is over, I'll be starting radishes and turnips (and carrots and onions). I already started NZ spinach (from Sanderson). I have 9 little "bushes" of them -- still very small but happy. Very Happy

**Scorpio Rising** 7/27/2016, 7:24 pm

Perfect! I plan on trying some lettuces this weekend....Ruby Crunch still defies me...

I must say the sound of the Cicadas makes me a bit melancholy. Signals the end of so many things for us northerners. Days getting shorter.... North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 3555472862

North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 3555472862

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2016, 9:42 am

Watered for an hour and a half last night, zero rain. Things are alive, my Annex Mystery Tomaotes are turning red, will have to eat one and try to identify it! I have never grown determinate varieties, nor hybrid, so might need some help! I will post pictures later.

Purple pole beans coming on hard. Will need a plan. I either need to learn to can or blanch and freeze. I did that last year and it worked well. Also the volunteer Patty pans....wow. Cukes slowing wayyyy down. Ground cherries still going strong! Need to pick peppers, ran out of sunlight!

I think I am going to start some lettuces...a couple squares. Should I germinate them right in the garden?

**AtlantaMarie** 7/30/2016, 4:38 pm

Busy, busy, SR!

You might try drying your beans. Just string them up on thread and hang 'em from the rafters like our forefathers did! Dark room, good air circulation....

herblover 7/30/2016, 9:48 pm

Finally got out in the garden and cleaned things up; lettuce was bolting, onions needed to be harvested, garlic also which was a total bust. Peppers and kale/chard doing well, planted 2 squares of carrots. Tomatoes are going crazy, but had the misfortune of 2 being mislabeled so instead of 'Cherokee Purple' and 'Chef's Choice Orange' slicers I have 2 mystery red grape types. I will have hundreds of grape/cherry tomotoes but only 1 slicer.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2016, 11:54 pm

herblover wrote:Finally got out in the garden and cleaned things up; lettuce was bolting, onions needed to be harvested, garlic also which was a total bust. Peppers and kale/chard doing well, planted 2 squares of carrots. Tomatoes are going crazy, but had the misfortune of 2 being mislabeled so instead of 'Cherokee Purple' and 'Chef's Choice Orange' slicers I have 2 mystery red grape types. I will have hundreds of grape/cherry tomotoes but only 1 slicer.

Dang it, herblover, I hate the mislabeling thing! I have lived it....it is all food!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2016, 11:57 pm

AtlantaMarie wrote:Busy, busy, SR!

You might try drying your beans. Just string them up on thread and hang 'em from the rafters like our forefathers did! Dark room, good air circulation....

Good idea, AM! I didn't think of that. Thanks!

BeetlesPerSqFt 7/31/2016, 6:58 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:
AtlantaMarie wrote:Busy, busy, SR!

You might try drying your beans. Just string them up on thread and hang 'em from the rafters like our forefathers did! Dark room, good air circulation....
Good idea, AM! I didn't think of that. Thanks!

Search on "Leather britches" for more info on the internet about drying beans this way. I spent hours this winter researching what beans work best for this process and trying to find places I could order them from. I chose Lazy Wife Greasy and Non-Tough Half-Runner. They're growing, and Japanese beetles don't find either particularly interesting (they like my Neckargolds and Snow Cap beans) but I don't think I've noticed any beans yet... but I haven't really *looked* lately.

You could also leave a portion of your beans to mature fully and get dried beans for soups and such.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/31/2016, 11:00 am

I also thought about getting an inexpensive dehydrator and giving that a try. Thanks for the ideas! Will be hanging squash and beans for supper!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/31/2016, 12:09 pm

North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 Image55

Blacktail Mountain watermelon hiding above.
North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 Image57

Mystery Maters, part of my BLT this morning...
North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016 - Page 3 Image56

Minnesota Midget muskmelons

**sanderson** 7/31/2016, 1:31 pm

SR, So that's what a healthy MN midget looks like! Embarassed

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North & Central Midwest: JULY! 2016