N&C Midwest: July Has Arrived 2018

Wow!  Hot already out there.  Just watered and pulled the last few sugar snaps and removed the plants and trellis.  Too hot for peas.  Also picked my first ever kohlrabi!  Gave one to the neighbors, hope they aren’t as tough as getting the root chopped off was!  Moved a Swiss Chard that was being shaded out by a potato plant.  Fingers crossed.  

Sprinkled some bone meal on the tomato bed to fend off BER.  Did a lot of sweating!  LOL.

What about you guys?

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Top:  4x4 with almost ready garlic, vacated sugar snap area, small patty pan squash, kohlrabi, a few peppers, and carrots.  Tiny eggplant with a fruit on it!!!!

Bottom:   Strawberry bed 3x7

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Top:  tomatoes (6) legacy boxes

Middle:  potatoes, vacated lettuce with one Swiss Chard left, pale cukes different angle

Bottom:  wild milkweed area by pool filter...

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Top:  South Annex black cherry (I am questioning this due to fruiting habits) freebie from Baker’s

Middle:  South annex with squash (Delicata x2) and various melons taking over the world

Bottom:  front terra cotta planter...

Looking good there!

The first picture looks like a tomato plant.  Looks healthy but how are you going to support it.

Wow! It is HOT HOT HOT! Record breaking temps the last few days, heat indices in the triple digits. It was a bit windy yesterday, felt like walking into a blow dryer when I opened the door. lol We had a short-lived, very heavy thunderstorm overnight that broke the heat for today, but they're forecasting a return to the 90's the rest of the week. On the plus side, my tomatoes and squash seem to be loving it.



The determinate tomatoes - Roma and Celebrity. Did a lot of pruning, trying to keep the air flow around the bottom of the plant. These are planted in a 4x3 block, 1/square with a now-empty row between them. I took this picture before I pruned. I'm trying to keep most of the leaves trimmed down the center of block, hopefully it won't get too bushy in there so I can harvest the tomatoes. All the white spots you see are actually cottonwood seeds and fluff from a week ago. Made note to cover everything during the cottonwood "snow" next year. I am pulling baby trees out of everything that didn't have a cover.

Under the cage are some Mad Hatter peppers and a marigold.



 
My Fourth of July tomatoes - indeterminates, so pruning and threading them through the trellis as they grow. I planted them about 2 weeks late, and it looks like the tomatoes will be "right on time" (in about 2 weeks). I thought they weren't going to live up to their name, as they didn't get flowers before the others, but the last few days they flowered and now I have little baby green tomatoes there, so fingers crossed I can harvest some soon.

In front of the tomatoes are some Aurelia Basil plants and a marigold for pest repellant. You can see a couple of sad bush beans and carrots that are struggling to come back after being eaten by groundhogs. I can't bear to pull them, hopefully they can make a comeback.



Here are my Super Sweet 100 Cherry tomatoes (on the right), and the left 2 squares are a Bonnie Original. I purchased the tall Bonnie Original from HD in the spring, and then trimmed what I thought was a sucker to root. Turns out it was the growth tip, and I totally screwed the plant since I didn't leave any suckers on it, either.   Too bad, because this was the first one to fruit, but what I have is the only thing I'm going to get. I also screwed up on rooting the sucker by just planting it in the square on the left once it had roots. It was poor timing and tending all around lol. But now I know.

The tall green plants in the back of the bed and in the cardboard top hat are Burbank Russet Potatoes. The rest are different types of onions and garlic. I am REALLY behind on layering any more soil on top of the potatoes. I haven't had a chance to make any more MM or get anything else to give a few more layers. I'm not sure if I should even do anything at this late a date. These were  planted in March, the ones in the back have been layered twice and the square is about a foot higher than the bed. The ones in the front were only layered once. I think I'll probably just take what I can get at this point, and try to do better this fall. Also thinking that if I do a fall planting of potatoes, that I will do them in air pruning bags instead of in the garden. I'm not thrilled with the bugs and the tending involved with them in the main SFG boxes.





So, after quite a few losses, I'm working on making sure what is left gets tended, and looking forward to a fall garden planting.

yolos wrote:The first picture looks like a tomato plant.  Looks healthy but how are you going to support it.

Believe it or not, there is a twisty pole in there, just cannot see it!  I didn’t notice that until you said that!  I have fallen in love with twisty poles....

BlackjackWidow wrote:Wow! It is HOT HOT HOT! Record breaking temps the last few days, heat indices in the triple digits. It was a bit windy yesterday, felt like walking into a blow dryer when I opened the door. lol 

So, after quite a few losses, I'm working on making sure what is left gets tended, and looking forward to a fall garden planting.

Same here, BJW.  Hot as all get out.  Glad I took out the peas.  I debated, love them so much!  But no blossoms, so done.  

Your garden looks great!  You are gonna get a lot of yummy stuff this year!  We need to be on each other for Fall planting (OK, it’s me that always waits too long and gets zero) so we get a fall thing on!  

I for one want lettuces, and spinaches.  Radishes, OK, this needs a thread!  LOL!

Scorpio Rising wrote:

BlackjackWidow wrote:Wow! It is HOT HOT HOT! Record breaking temps the last few days, heat indices in the triple digits. It was a bit windy yesterday, felt like walking into a blow dryer when I opened the door. lol 

So, after quite a few losses, I'm working on making sure what is left gets tended, and looking forward to a fall garden planting.

Same here, BJW.  Hot as all get out.  Glad I took out the peas.  I debated, love them so much!  But no blossoms, so done.  

Your garden looks great!  You are gonna get a lot of yummy stuff this year!  We need to be on each other for Fall planting (OK, it’s me that always waits too long and gets zero) so we get a fall thing on!  

I for one want lettuces, and spinaches.  Radishes, OK, this needs a thread!  LOL!

I agree! I need someone to prompt me to get going - otherwise, I'm going to end up drooling while looking at everyone else's beautiful pictures and wishing I had followed through with the plan. 

I want lettuces, spinach, and I want to try broccoli and cabbage one more time. Maybe kohlrabi, too. I've never tasted it before, and my critters seemed to think it was really good. It seems we have the same tastes, so I will probably like it 

BlackjackWidow wrote:Wow! It is HOT HOT HOT! Record breaking temps the last few days, heat indices in the triple digits. It was a bit windy yesterday, felt like walking into a blow dryer when I opened the door. lol

It was unusually humid, it was probably like this during the start of August, 2011, before Vermont and New Hampshire got slammed with T-storms that had tropical-style downpours, followed by Irene, one week later, as if the August 19th and August 21st T-storms weren't enough, FFS!

Yesterday, on July 2, 2018, it felt like I walked into a bathroom, LOL. The region I'm in, normally doesn't have southern-U.S.-like dewpoints! The heat is usually bone dry, compared to that! Normal dewpoint, without showers, would usually be only in the 40s or the like! The dewpoint yesterday, was at least almost 80 F!

I live right on the coast of Lake Michigan, so our humidity can get quite high in the summer (and lots of snowfall in the winter). But Saturday was a killer - average temps are around 69 degrees with 70% humidity; actual was 91 degrees and 97% humidity! The highway was buckling and had to be closed. They were spraying the drawbridge in the next town to try to get it to cool down a little. Omg, it was awful! I barely made it outdoors in the early morning to make sure the water barrels were full and then peered through the shades the rest of the day lol.

LOL, I have vacationed in Michigan along the west coast many times.  Up to Traverse City 4 times, Shelby/Mears/Dunes area at least 4 times, love it.  Charlevoix, Petosky, Sleeping Bear, and the UP.   That is Hot!

RJ, yeah, it has been a scorcher.  There really does seem to be a change in the weather patterns...

BlackjackWidow wrote: actual was 91 degrees and 97% humidity!

That's Florida-like, LOL. That makes Atlanta look like a desert, LOL.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

RJ, yeah, it has been a scorcher. 

Actually, it was ironic, at least after I got back home, it was more like August, 2011, where it wasn't as warm as it was humid, thus 82 F may feel like 97 F, for example, LOL. In 2011, that was possibly caused by the dreaded "horseshoe-shaped-trough"!
And often, but not always, with the dreaded horseshoe, is a high pressure system parked right over Greenland, or very close to Greenland, or a high pressure system parked over Quebec, or east of Quebec, as well!

RJARPCGP wrote:

BlackjackWidow wrote: actual was 91 degrees and 97% humidity!

That's Florida-like, LOL. That makes Atlanta look like a desert, LOL.

Yikes!

RJARPCGP wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:

RJ, yeah, it has been a scorcher. 

Actually, it was ironic, at least after I got back home, it was more like August, 2011, where it wasn't as warm as it was humid, thus 82 F may feel like 97 F, for example, LOL. In 2011, that was possibly caused by the dreaded "horseshoe-shaped-trough"!
And often, but not always, with the dreaded horseshoe, is a high pressure system parked right over Greenland, or very close to Greenland, or a high pressure system parked over Quebec, or east of Quebec, as well!

Oh, kid!  What does that mean for your garden?  For me, I. Am just really behind...

Harvested my first 3 garlic bulbs!  Drying in the garage....need to figure out what to do.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

RJARPCGP wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:

RJ, yeah, it has been a scorcher. 

Actually, it was ironic, at least after I got back home, it was more like August, 2011, where it wasn't as warm as it was humid, thus 82 F may feel like 97 F, for example, LOL. In 2011, that was possibly caused by the dreaded "horseshoe-shaped-trough"!
And often, but not always, with the dreaded horseshoe, is a high pressure system parked right over Greenland, or very close to Greenland, or a high pressure system parked over Quebec, or east of Quebec, as well!

Oh, kid!  What does that mean for your garden?  For me, I. Am just really behind...

Harvested my first 3 garlic bulbs!  Drying in the garage....need to figure out what to do.

We ironically, hardly even got showers, despite the dewpoints reported for the region, especially the dewpoints on the day before the forth of July! (and July 2nd, as well)

At least on July 2nd and July 3rd, there was enough moisture in the air to have a washout for a couple of days, if not a sign of a 2011-like-unusually-rainy-pattern coming!

Here it was like being at the zoo nd having a mister hit you for like 2 hours straight....then sun/sauna/pool time!

NICE!  Actually got to work in the yard!  Harvested last 2 kohlrabi, planning for empty squares; bought some yellow bush bean seeds from my nursery.  Will do that and some lettuces.

Watered the south annex;  first time trying to root a sucker of a tomato.  Apparently the unknown variety of freebie “black” cherry from Bakers had a full on second growth, so I clipped it, cut all the bottom leaves off, and have it “resting” on the front porch in water.  Nothing to lose!

Figured out what I have open in the SFG out back.  Will deal with that tomorrow!  Weather is so nice and summery!

OK, spent a couple hours watering...including flowers.  It was dry weirdly enough.  There are several peppers that are close.  And some eggplants too!  I am excited about trying them!  

Planted a square of Cherokee Wax bush beans.  There are a couple squares available for lettuces.  Will germinate them inside.  Temps top high.  

Also a large area for the (hopefully) resurrected sucker from the nameless black cherry tomato freebie from Bakers!

We will see!

Scorpio Rising wrote:https://i.servimg.com/u/f62/19/25/77/83/c3ad6810.jpg

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Top:  4x4 with almost ready garlic, vacated sugar snap area, small patty pan squash, kohlrabi, a few peppers, and carrots.  Tiny eggplant with a fruit on it!!!!

Bottom:   Strawberry bed 3x7

Wish I had the will power to plant my boxes like your top box. I always over plant mine.

MrBooker wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:https://i.servimg.com/u/f62/19/25/77/83/c3ad6810.jpg

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Top:  4x4 with almost ready garlic, vacated sugar snap area, small patty pan squash, kohlrabi, a few peppers, and carrots.  Tiny eggplant with a fruit on it!!!!

Bottom:   Strawberry bed 3x7

Wish I had the will power to plant my boxes like your top box. I always over plant mine.

Lol; Mr. B, I don’t have the willpower either!  This was just a timing thing.  I pulled the trellis full of burned out sugar snap peas, also vacated are spinach and radish squares, kohlrabi, turnips and beets gone.  Going in soon are a sucker tomato (experiment), and some lettuces that I am starting inside today.  By August, should have a couple more open squares for fall planting!  I will update in a week or two with a full 4x4! (Hopefully)

What are you growing this year?  My green ice did great, slow to bolt, in fact, gonna get another run here in a couple weeks!  Might actually have a BLT with my L & T!!!

My green ice did well also. It's an old favorite. I planted everything I could stick in the ground. I promised myself I'd cut back on my fall garden but it's going to be tuff.

MrBooker wrote:My green ice did well also. It's an old favorite. I planted everything I could stick in the ground. I promised myself I'd cut back on my fall garden but it's going to be tuff.

I have never really done a good fall planting.  My challenge for 2018!!  I am planning, with dates written on my actual paper calendar!  LOL!