N&C Midwest—July 2020

**Scorpio Rising** 7/1/2020, 10:22 am

Wow, time flies when you’re having fun! I cannot believe it’s July already! I think some of my lettuce is bolting, so when I water tonight I might have to pull some of it. Also need to hill my potatoes to keep them covered. Hot and dry here.

What’s going on with you guys?

OhioGardener 7/1/2020, 11:48 am

Wait, where did June go? I just got used to it! Smile

Quite day on the homestead today. Went out early this morning before the day gets hot, and tied up the squash, and put all the tomatoes back in the cages. Harvested some more kale and leaf lettuce. Checked the soil moisture, and all of the beds have plenty of moisture - one of the major benefits I have seen from having Biochar in the beds is that they retain water much better than they used to, and they require much less frequent watering. I have had the drip irrigation to run every 5 days, but I may change it once a week to let the soil dry out more between watering.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/1/2020, 6:17 pm

I have a lot in containers...they dry out faster especially in this heat. Even with rain, containers don’t really get a great soaking. My entire south annex and herbs and flowers/houseplants are in containers.

I watered my regular SFG beds about 10 days ago. It is time again, especially since I don’t really want to do it this weekend! So I am gonna head out when the temp here stabilizes and water. Yuck, but it does make for nice plants.

I see pesto in my future; my basil is crazy right now—yay me!

OhioGardener 7/1/2020, 6:24 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:I see pesto in my future; my basil is crazy right now—yay me!

The Basil has been growing so fast and furious this year that I have been having to keep cutting in back and throwing it into the composter. I put a Basil plant between each tomato plant, and I have never seen it grow so much and so fast. Every time I cut it back, it grows two stems to replace the one I cut off. So now each plant has about 10 different stems growing. Can't use that much Basil! LOL

**Scorpio Rising** 7/1/2020, 9:12 pm

No! It can be very vigorous, that basil...but I have had years when I get zero? I usually make one into pesto, and freeze it. I will post the recipe (my brother’s) on that page.

You literally can use it as a stand alone sauce for pasta (my kids don’t like it but I do), or toss a cube or 2 into a pot of soup (esp. yum into mater soup—Campbells!). Or really anything that calls for that Italian thing.

Freezes well. See Recipes!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/1/2020, 9:17 pm

And availability!

Nice recipe.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t8963-freezing-pesto?highlight=Pesto

There are several on here.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/3/2020, 3:37 pm

Watering almost every day. Just spent over an hour with the south annex; melons and squashes very wilty. Some dropping blooms. Had a couple zucchini’s that had died in mini form. One might have been blossom end rot, but they are struggling.

I pulled 4 beets last night while watering the SFGs, and probably 2/3 of the garlics. Lettuces are bolting, so that will happen soon, Will make room for some fall crops! Also harvested some sugar snaps, they also look near-end game.

I want to put in some more beets and carrots soon.

Peppers looking good!

OhioGardener 7/4/2020, 10:15 am

Have heard that beans don't like onions, and won't grow or produce when planted near them. Apparently, these beans hadn't heard that. They're not only twisting around the onions, they are setting fruit on the vines right next to the onion they are attached to. Shocked

**Scorpio Rising** 7/4/2020, 5:16 pm

I had not heard that, OG! Glad things are going well! My tomatoes are too dense, But I will figure it out!

OhioGardener 7/6/2020, 9:34 am

While checking the raised beds this morning I noticed several areas that had no surface moisture, even though the drip irrigation system had run at 6:00am. Turned the system on manually to check it out, and discovered quite a few of the tubing drip emitters were plugged and not working. Apparently the emitters lifespan is less than 4 years, so I'll need to replace that tubing. All of the tubing those 3 beds are on their 4th year, and have served us well. But time for new ones.... The good news was that the two beds that were just added to the drip irrigation this year are working great and they got plenty of water.

OhioGardener 7/6/2020, 11:30 am

The bush beans are in full bloom now. These are Blue Lake 274 Beans, planted on May 23rd (44 days ago). They appear to be on target for their 55 Days to Maturity. There are some beans developing, and some are about 2" long (such as the one the arrow points to in the 2nd picture). Can't wait for the first batch of fresh snap beans with bacon! Very Happy

**Scorpio Rising** 7/6/2020, 8:51 pm

Nice! My Dragon Tongue beans were blooming up a storm when I checked them yesterday...excited to try them!

Just cut the tops off the garlics that have been curing in the garage for about a week. Into the basement they went. More garlic are coming out soon! They are done, so excited to have a great garlic year after last year!

No rain here nor in the near future; super hot. I will get up before work and at least hit the south annex...

OhioGardener 7/6/2020, 9:00 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:No rain here nor in the near future; super hot. I will get up before work and at least hit the south annex...

We had a surprise thunderstorm this afternoon which left 3/8" of rain for us. Wasn't in the forecast, and didn't even show up on the radar until about a half hour before it hit us. The plants appreciated the short break in the hot dry weather we've been having.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/6/2020, 9:53 pm

OhioGardener wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:No rain here nor in the near future; super hot. I will get up before work and at least hit the south annex...

We had a surprise thunderstorm this afternoon which left 3/8" of rain for us. Wasn't in the forecast, and didn't even show up on the radar until about a half hour before it hit us. The plants appreciated the short break in the hot dry weather we've been having.

You know, OG, when I was driving home from work, it looked like it was going to kick one off; lots of wind, temp drop, etc. but no precipitation.

I have to water the annex; they are really suffering. Will get tot he legit SFG if I need to....has to be tomorrow!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/8/2020, 9:24 pm

Watering...these temps with hit and miss showers ( I have been missed; plus it doesn’t matter in containers) every time.

Things are doing...picked a few sweet banana peppers!!! Dragon Tongue beans are blooming. Tomatoes falling all over the place! (My fault).

Jeez. I cannot take the heat you guys do.

nrstooge 7/9/2020, 12:52 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Watering...these temps with hit and miss showers ( I have been missed; plus it doesn’t matter in containers) every time.

Things are doing...picked a few sweet banana peppers!!! Dragon Tongue beans are blooming. Tomatoes falling all over the place! (My fault).

Jeez. I cannot take the heat you guys do.

I'm with you.. I have a 2 gal watering can I use to water the patio - 5 trips to get everything.. but the tomatoes are forming.

I did some pruning on the tomatoes to combat blight

**Scorpio Rising** 7/9/2020, 10:26 pm

nrstooge wrote:
I'm with you.. I have a 2 gal watering can I use to water the patio - 5 trips to get everything.. but the tomatoes are forming.

I did some pruning on the tomatoes to combat blight

Yeah, it’s crazy. My tomatoes are forming too! I just use the hose, no way around it here. Sugar snaps are gonna get yanked this weekend. Need to weed around the peppers. Cukes are blooming!

I hope this weekend we get a break...at least the grass isn’t growing!

OhioGardener 7/11/2020, 4:28 pm

Picked the first Sun Gold cherry tomatoes and Banana Peppers today. Also pulled the last of the carrots from one bed so that beets can be planted there for the fall crop.

Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes

Banana Peppers - camera did not do just to their bright yellow color

Third harvest of Carrots

**Scorpio Rising** 7/12/2020, 1:04 pm

My first cukes; 3 eaters and 3 picklers. My first Sungold cherry tomatoes, dragon Tongue beans (can't wait to try them), celery, a couple beets, one small head of purple cabbage and probably about the end of my sugar snaps. There are some maters coming on as well as peppers--very dry in the boxes. Also harvested the last 9 bulbs of garlic, they are in the garage curing. I am leaving some of the bolting lettuces for the pollinators!

OhioGardener 7/12/2020, 5:05 pm

This afternoon, just before the thunderstorms moved in, I brought in the Lacinato Kale, the Rainbow Chard, and the Blue Lake Bush Beans. Also picked some Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, but they weren't able to make it into the house. Smile

**Scorpio Rising** 7/12/2020, 6:15 pm

Nice! Wish we would get some rain...good for you though!

OhioGardener 7/13/2020, 10:21 am

The beds are producing this year like they never have before, and we're already canning an freezing some vegetables for the winter. The soil gets better every year, and the plants keep doing better and better.

See that Yellow Brandywine that is about ready to pick? Smile

Can't believe those bush beans this year! Already picked one batch of beans, and there are many more devleoping in there.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/14/2020, 8:59 pm

I am going to can some pickles this weekend, too...almost 2 or 3 weeks earlier than other years.

Had to water the South Annex and some flowers out front, (sunflowers). Heat wave on the way....

Excited about my newly harvested veggies!!! I love you

OhioGardener 7/17/2020, 10:46 am

Sometimes everyone just needs a friend....

OhioGardener 7/17/2020, 6:39 pm

Picked the first Rutgers tomatoes today, also a few more Sun Golds. The summer harvest of the gardens is really picking up.

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N&C Midwest—July 2020

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This is the pesto recipe..honestly to taste

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Time to replace some drip tubing

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