After winter season and green season it is time for some warm weather crops… just not yet. If watching a tomato can make it get ripe there should already be some – but alas, no matter how hard they are observed the fruit is still green – and only on some of the cherries. The major disappointment is that freak June 1 very light frost damaged the baby potatoes – which are very tender about that cold stuff. And so the same thing is true about them – subsoil examination is saying “wait.”
That to say there are things happening – the roses heading out are nice to see – and there were maybe a dozen raspberries ripe today. It is a bit much to hope for a pint or so for each of you this week, but next week looks very promising if the birds stay away. Corn, beans and summer squash are all growing, and of course the tomatoes are heading to the ceiling. The next stage is coming fast.
The garden shifted from last few year’s primary beds to allow reconditioning and the additions of new edging. The general problem is that you kinda have to change the tire while the car is moving. A whole new bed for root crops had a double-deep spading and new edging installed bringing it up to correct alignment and width – there will be a full four feet for the roots this year. Oddly enough some of those root crops are for late in the year and for the winter season in 2024. Parsnips, you know. The carrots will also over-winter. The spading is especially tedious as every possible stone down about 12″ needs to be gone to keep the carrots sorta straight.
The rest of the week includes setting out the starts of the winter squash as well. The squash bed is immense (well, 60’x50′ and 45’x 45′) and is something that looks ridiculous until the squash takes off. A bit of the same problem with cucumbers – there is almost nothing, then bam, a big vine. Oh, and at this point there is way too much lettuce started…
It is somewhat annoying that there are no new pictures this week. Sorry!
Here’s what is available this week:
| Lettuce | There are some rather large heads of Winter Density that are trying to go to seed – after an exhaustive taste test they are excellent (wash, chill, crunch)… and a few Red Iceberg/Cegolaine floating around trying to imitate being tomatoes – in whose bed they are hiding out. |
| Brassicas | Honestly, the cabbage is small and done this week – more is planted but is about 4 weeks out. Waiting for the silly Cauliflower (or is it Broccoli?) to head out, but there is some small leaf Kale. The heat in May probably stunted the Kale. |
| Roots | Beets… probably will give out a couple of people some beet greens – they are growing, and real beet size may or may not happen. |
| Greens | Arugula… yeah, that would be it for greens. |
| Herbs | Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Mint, Oregano, Basil (baby tiny Basil) Thyme and Sage in a week or so |
| Misc | Lots of things coming soon. Plums, Figs, Raspberries, Boysenberries – need to check the peaches. Note that Tomatoes are setting fruit, Potatoes are somewhat available maybe. Kinda have to dig to find out! |
Potatoes and Beans and Corn and Summer Squash are serious about growing. Very Serious.
