July Garden Update

I'm pretty impressed by this summer's garden so far.  Not everything has been an instant home run, but there have been fewer complete fails than I'm used to.

A few of the chard are still going.  I heard a description of it as "better tasting beet greens", and that's very accurate.  I'm definitely planting it again next year.  The remaining turnips were smaller than I would have liked, but the greens were dying and I had to harvest.  They were enough for one recipe.

The kale is being hit hard by the cabbage loopers.  I put netting over them.  Hopefully that will keep the mama moth from landing.  Other than that, they're looking fantastic and growing at a good pace.  I'm just losing half the leaves to bug damage.

The cilantro finally finished making its seeds.  I pulled it and dried the stems in a bag for a couple of weeks before rubbing off all the coriander.  What I don't use in cooking will be my seed for next year.

After how many years of gardening, I googled how long it takes a tomato to form.  From blossom to ripe, it's 40-60 days, depending on variety and weather conditions.  That means I have at least a month before my first tomatoes are ready.  I'm definitely ready for endless cherry tomatoes.

Something was eating the leaves off my bush beans.  They were so jagged, and close to the edge of the pot, that I thought it was a critter and sprayed critter-deterrent.  That didn't work, so I started using neem oil.  That didn't work, so I added a diluted Dawn spray to the routine.  Then I opened the screen one day to step outside, and a whole flock of birds came out of the pot.  Really?  The nips absolutely could be from beaks.  Well, I'm not getting out the non-organic pesticides if it's birds, so the critter spray came out again.  Maybe they're getting revenge for me covering the berry bramble with bird netting.  I bought another roll and a cage to support it.  I think it's working.  When the plants are a little stronger, I'll trim off all the bitten leaves.  The first flowers appeared, so beans may be in my near future.

The bird thing really threw me.  I'm thinking that they know I no longer have a cat.  She must have been my scarecrow.  Also, it's only my second time attempting to grow beans, so maybe they found them for the first time.  I'm going to start picking tomatoes at first blush, so the birds and squirrels don't have at them.

It's hard to believe that it's already time to start planning for a winter garden.  I have one celery hanging on, but will have to start next year's fairly soon.  I'll get the herbs going around the end of September.  This spring's peas were a bust, so I'll try again in the fall.  Bird netting this time.