July Garden Update

Summer is here. A type of summer we haven't seen in a couple of years. It is HOT and HUMID. Yesterday it hit 94.1 F, the day before 93.3. Humidity has been above 60%, but we aren't getting the rain we need so I've had to water the gardens a lot. Unfortunately, my 75 foot hose broke up when it was accidentally left outside this past winter so until I buy a new one I've had to lug a watering can to the cucumber garden. The cukes have been suffering consequently and the vines on the longest are barely a foot long. I'm afraid it's another bad year for cucumbers, no pickles this year unless this change dramatically.

My zucchini plants on the other hand are doing marvelously well over in their new location on the other side of the snow pea fence. I haven't had such healthy plants in years. And to think they're mainly in sand with a spade full of composted dirt underneath.

zucchini

Have had a pretty good crop of snow peas this year, too, the heat is finally getting to the last of them which happen to be the variety Oregon Sugar Pod II. Huge pods but even when I forget to pick them thin and the peas are forming they still cook up nice and tender. I shall definitely have to plant them again.

Zucchini in front of snow pea fence

Still waiting on my one and only bean planting to make beans, there are flowers but barely any beans yet. Those are the Jade variety, The Masai was total crop failure except for 2 plants. And I tried planting twice.

Got some green cherry tomatoes and slicing tomatoes. No idea when those will ripen, not this week apparently. They're all in pots so it's easier to keep them watered.

And I haven't done much with flowers in years, I'm just lucky some I planted are so resilient (even though the false sunflower are prone to powdery mildew.

rudbeckia with false sunflower in the back

Someday, I'll get back to weeding. Maybe when the heat breaks. (and today's high was 90.3)