June 30, 2017
Gardening after dinner in the summer months always provides shade pockets to work in. I was weeding the honeydew melon mound yesterday evening and saw a squash bug. As my brain started processing the fact that this was probably not a good thing, I saw another. And another. And another. I started squishing them as fast as I could find them, and digging through the straw mulch to find more..
It's funny how one squash bug on a huge healthy zucchini plant is entertaining, and part of the natural cycle of ecological balance, but a mess of them is a plaque that needs to be exterminated. I realized that's why I don't kill cucumber beetles and earwigs anymore. I only see one or two a week. If a plant was covered in them I'd kill them all. So much for a bugs right to live this day..
July 01, 2017
The peas are extremely abundant this year, so the old adage about having them planted by St. Patrick's day can be thrown out the window. They needed a little more water, a little more often, but I'm retired now and own a hose. No biggie. The fourth planting of cauliflower might have been a bit late in the season because the heat is making their leaves curl and twist. They were direct seeded April 17th..
The leaves aren't flat and wide like the cabbage leaves, but crumpled up like broccoli leaves. Small heads are beginning to form but will probably stay small. If you want to try for a fall crop of cauliflower it's time to direct seed now. You will be harvesting them before the hard freezes hit because they don't overwinter. The heat did ripen five tomatoes for me, so I've finally beaten the fourth of July goal..
July 03, 2017
I found a place in the garden that gets shade from noon on so I went ahead and planted another row of lettuce. The other lettuce is turning bitter and the outer leaves are getting eaten. I think it's slugs because when I clean the inner leaves I find their poop. Every leaf needs to be hand washed now where as before I could pick by the handful and not even need to rince. If I !eep planting short rows in the shade, and keep picking when the plants are young and tender, I don't see why I can't eat lettuce all summer long..
I also got a row of kale in and noticed something is eating the hollyhock flowers. Google informed me that I have a hollyhock weavel problem. KILL THEM ALL ! I'm a pacifist in peace time but this is war, now I'm a warrior..
