The temperatures have really heated up over the last few weeks, with many days with temperatures in the lower to mid 90’s. The garden did receive at least some rain, but it still remains very dry. Despite the dry and hot conditions, the garden is doing well. Most of the onion tops have now flopped over and I plan on getting them pulled up and starting the curing process within the next week. It looks like the onion crop will be good this year. I have just finished harvesting the rest of the peas. Broccoli harvesting continues, with all of the main heads now harvested. Now the abundant broccoli side shoots will continue to be harvested for about another month. With all of the warm to hot weather, the peppers and tomatoes are really starting to grow. A few of the hot banana pepper plants have some harvestable sized peppers on them already. Harvest continues on the lettuce, but I need to keep the plants shaded with all of the heat, to keep the plants from bolting. The bush green beans are now starting to flower and the rattlesnake pole beans are starting to work their way up the bean towers. The Diva cucumbers are also starting to vine their way up the cages, but no sign of flowers as of yet. The potatoes in five of the grow bags are nearing maturity, so harvest will begin on those within the next few weeks. The corn is now about four foot tall and tassels are just starting to push out of the tops.
Wow, can you believe it is already late June!! Now is the time to start planning the fall crop. I will be starting seeds of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and lettuce, in cell packs, within the next week, inside. After germination, I will move these seedlings onto the covered back porch until they are transplanted out into the garden as early as the first week in August.
