Re: N&C Midwest: June 2023

JAM23 6/15/2023, 7:21 am

You are all so lucky! We only picked up a 1/2" of rain but it's better than nothing!

Pulled some beets and radishes and picked some snap peas and lettuce yesterday. Snap peas are so good!

What do you all do with your beet greens? I sauteed some with some garlic and they were good. I was thinking of blanching and freezing a bunch to use like spinach/kale in soups throughout the winter, but are there any other ideas on how to use them?

OhioGardener 6/15/2023, 9:15 am

JAM23 wrote:What do you all do with your beet greens? I sauteed some with some garlic and they were good. I was thinking of blanching and freezing a bunch to use like spinach/kale in soups throughout the winter, but are there any other ideas on how to use them?

We use the beet greens just like spinach. If they are blanched for two minutes, they can be frozen for future use.

If you have an air fryer, crispy beet greens are great with just a coating of olive oil and a little salt and black pepper.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/15/2023, 9:31 am

That is a great idea, JAM as far as freezing some for use this winter. I too use them like spinach or Swiss Chard (which is basically a beet with no root part).

JAM23 6/15/2023, 9:38 am

OhioGardener,

I do not own an airfryer, but I would if it would work in the oven kinda like kale chips? I might try that next! Thanks for the idea!

OhioGardener 6/15/2023, 3:14 pm

JAM23 wrote:OhioGardener,

I do not own an airfryer, but I would if it would work in the oven kinda like kale chips? I might try that next! Thanks for the idea!

They can also be baked in the oven, just takes a little longer. Here is a recipe I modified for the air fryer, but it is written for baking in the oven.

https://divascancook.com/italian-herb-baked-spinach-chips-recipe/

JAM23 6/15/2023, 5:56 pm

Thanks OG! I will be trying this for sure!

I picked up some SLUGGO PLUS today and applied it to the areas of concern. Can't wait to see how this stuff works!

OhioGardener 6/20/2023, 3:47 pm

Finally got the Butternut and Red Kuri Squash, Cantaloupe, and Cucumbers transplanted into the gardens. The cucumbers are in the raised bed on the arbor, and the squash and cantaloupe are transplanted into the Back To Eden part of the garden. I'm just a little behind schedule this year. Shocked

**Scorpio Rising** 6/20/2023, 6:19 pm

OhioGardener wrote:Finally got the Butternut and Red Kuri Squash, Cantaloupe, and Cucumbers transplanted into the gardens. The cucumbers are in the raised bed on the arbor, and the squash and cantaloupe are transplanted into the Back To Eden part of the garden. I'm just a little behind schedule this year.

Me too, OG. It has been a strange season thus far! I did notice how huge my taters are! Need to get out there tonight and tie it up so it doesn’t shade the onions/shallots too much.

I did water last night, at least my containers. People are mowing—I am waiting! Breezy and warm here, rain down south of me.

OhioGardener 6/21/2023, 3:33 pm

Took advantage of the first day of summer to catch up on a couple spring tasks that never got done. Mulched the peppers, zucchini, kale, swiss chard, and tomatoes with wheat straw. After the sun cools down this evening I'll wet the straw to mat it down.

N&C Midwest: June 2023 - Page 2 Squash14

N&C Midwest: June 2023 - Page 2 Tomato12

**Scorpio Rising** 6/22/2023, 7:56 am

Something (raccoon?) has been getting into my sunflower seedlings that are about ready to go in, and last night it dug up my basil….all three plants. These are in a container on by patio by my back door, next to my untouched ground cherry plants. I stuck the basil back in, but it is killing the sunflowers.

Maybe I will just bail on the sunflowers…put them in the ground and wish them good luck? I can’t win! Lost 3 of the seedlings, potted them up and re-planted them starting 3 seeds…they all spouted but not gonna win here!

OhioGardener 6/22/2023, 8:27 am

Sorry to hear that SR. Raccoons have been a real problem this year for some reason. My gooseberries were just a few days away from being ripe enough to pick and make a couple pies, and the night before last a raccoon had eaten every single one of them. I was so looking forward to a gooseberry pie, too! Mad

OhioGardener 6/24/2023, 3:18 pm

Had a nice little shower last night, which freshened up the lettuce, spinach and swiss chard for early morning picking. I decided the Ruby Red Swiss Chard was planted to close to each other, and the large leaves were crowding each other. I had planted them two per square when they were transplanted earlier in the spring. So, I dug up the smaller ones in each square and moved them out so that they are now spaced at one per square. These plants have been growing huge leaves, much like the Fordhook Giant.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/24/2023, 6:25 pm

So I am not sure if I have multiple culprits…but my one last Chocolate sunflower (my personal fave) was chewed off today during the day…..

Therefore I am done. Planting them all out tomorrow. Hoping for the best but expecting nothing!

I have some radishes that I can harvest….maybe put some lettuces in there.

OhioGardener 6/28/2023, 3:37 pm

The Sugar Snap Peas reached the end of their season, and the plants started drying up. So I picked the vines clean, then cut them off at the soil level and put them in the compost bin. I planted Blue Lake Pole Beans in their place. It is good to keep something growing on the arbor. The other side of the arbor has cucumbers growing on it, but they are still very young and have a lot of growing to do.

JAM23 6/28/2023, 4:55 pm

My Sugar Snaps are just about done as well and I need to get them out of the garden. I'm still deciding what to put in their place. I am thinking my fall peas can go there but I hate to see that space not getting used until then.

Need to get my beets pulled as well Smile

OhioGardener 6/28/2023, 6:00 pm

JAM23 wrote:My Sugar Snaps are just about done as well and I need to get them out of the garden. I'm still deciding what to put in their place. I am thinking my fall peas can go there but I hate to see that space not getting used until then.

Just what I do. Sugar Snap Peas from spring through early Summer, then pole beans until fall, and Sugar Snap Peas again for fall until winter kill. The microbes love to have roots in the ground, and I love to accommodate them. Very Happy

**Scorpio Rising** 6/28/2023, 8:02 pm

I got my last remaining sunflowers in tonight…with help from me daughter! Honestly, the wildfires that are burning in Canada are really evident here!

Harvested zero, however, some radishes can come out. They will be replaced by some lettuce!

JAM23 6/29/2023, 8:12 am

OhioGardener wrote:
JAM23 wrote:My Sugar Snaps are just about done as well and I need to get them out of the garden. I'm still deciding what to put in their place. I am thinking my fall peas can go there but I hate to see that space not getting used until then.

Just what I do. Sugar Snap Peas from spring through early Summer, then pole beans until fall, and Sugar Snap Peas again for fall until winter kill. The microbes love to have roots in the ground, and I love to accommodate them.

OhioGardener,

This is another area in which I am still learning. Timing. I have about 100 more growing days until my "expected first frost date" in early October. With pole beans having about 60 days until maturity and snap peas having about 55-70, I can't wrap my head around getting a crop of pole beans in before fall peas. I was planning on planting my fall peas towards the end of July/beginning of August, but how would I do that if I have pole beans still using that space? Is that the wrong time to plant fall peas? I have looked at several sources on when to plant fall peas in my area and the dates given have been anywhere from the end of June to the middle of August!

I am still learning from you guys all the time and I am trying to get better with this all the time!

OhioGardener 6/29/2023, 9:13 am

You have to work within the frost dates for your area when planning succession planting. The pole beans start producing in 45 days and are productive for several weeks. Since the peas are frost hardy, they will keep producing even after the first frost. I cheat a little bit with the planting of the peas. I plant the pea seeds while the beans are still producing, and by the time the peas are several inches tall I can start cutting off the pole beans at the soil level and remove the plants from the arbor. Then the peas take over the arbor.

OhioGardener 7/1/2023, 3:16 pm

We have had daily rain showers which has made pest control a little more difficult this year. For the first time ever I have had a flea beetle infestation, and they have nearly destroyed the eggplants. I had read somewhere that basil plants repel flea beetles, but apparently there is little fact to that. I have basil planted between all of the tomato and eggplant plants, and it doesn't seem to have repelled a single flea beetle. So, this evening after the afternoon showers I am going to spray with Neem oil to reduce their population.

OhioGardener 7/2/2023, 10:12 am

Had a poor - well, poorer than usual - germination of the Blue Lake Bush Beans this year, with just 90% of them germinating. Probably need to buy some new seeds next year. But, they are quickly growing and filling in the bare spots. They are planted 9 per square, for 12 squares. Looking forward to the first fresh green beans.

The end of the bed has the kale and Swiss Chard plants, and the bed next to the beans has the peppers and zucchini squash plants.

N&C Midwest: June 2023 - Page 2 Blue_l10

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