Mid June Update

The fourth corn/pole beans/winter squash planting in the back of the yard is growing fast. The corn is about a ft. tall with beans starting to develop vines. Yesterday, I planted the fifth 90 day corn/pole bean/shelling bush bean/cucumber plot. I have one more to go. Note that everything in these plots is seeded directly in the ground including the winter squash. While most books recommend that one plant the corn at least a week earlier than the remainder of the companion crops, I find it easiest to plant them all at the same time. However, I sometimes have to thin out the pole beans to keep them from overtaking the corn. So far this year, the corn has grown unusually fast enabling it to hold its own against the beans.

The peas which occupied the fifth plot conveniently stopped growing three weeks ago. I took them out on June 9 collecting at least a quart of dried peas from the quickly dying plants. The peas produced so heavily this spring that we couldn't keep up with them resulting in many pods drying. Since we have so many of these, I am experimenting with mixing the peas with pinto beans and cooking them together using a pressure cooker. So far, I like the mixed pea pinto bean result. Fortunately most of the late cauliflower, which also occupied plot 5, produced their heads well before yesterday. However, two are late bloomers and won't be done for at least another week. So... since I don't have the will to destroy healthy cauliflower plants, I simply plant around them as the picture below shows. The two large plants are the heavily pruned cauliflower. The dark rows with drippers running down them are the newly planted 90 day corn mix. Plot six, is in the back with lots of onions and a large squash plant occupying the space. There is also a highly productive potato patch out of picture on the right side of the plot. How many of these crops will be done in two weeks? I hope the onions are. They are quickly maturing with noticeable changes each day. These were set out in early March from starts in the greenhouse as the carrots from last year gave way.

The squash and potatoes won't be done, so I will have to plant around them much as I did the cauliflower in plot five. The newly planted rows are dark for two reasons. They are wet from the first irrigation after planting using the drippers. And there is a thin layer of finished compost on top of the rows. This compost helps keep the soil moist and promotes micro organisms in the immediate vicinity of the seeds. Note that I always integrate a 1/4 inch of compost directly into the top four inches of the soil prior to planting.

The 2007 leek crop which I talked about in the last post, is over half transplanted into the garden. The goal is to have this task complete by the end of the week. For the first time, I don't have enough plants to fill the plot. So I started another flat of leek two weeks ago from seed I had collected from last year's crop. These should be ready for transplant in late August or early September. These won't get quite as big as the June plantings but should still make for some nice leek for harvest next spring. Note that I have been experimenting with bunching onions over the past couple of years. I am really impressed with the White Lisbon variety. They produce leek like stems within three months but will go on to make a wonderful large bulb if allowed to mature. I plan on starting a few of these in the greenhouse within the next few weeks. I will keep you posted.

Now for a harvest update. Purple bush beans started producing over a week ago in the 60 day corn plot. Summer squash has struggled this year fighting a bad crown rot battle. I've lost most of the April plantings. However, I have one giant yellow patty pan in future corn plot six which is really healthy right now and producing several squash a week. The beautiful crook neck squash plant, a picture of which was included in my mid May post, succumbed to crown rot last week. I was really disappointed as this was one of the most beautifully formed summer squash plants I have ever had. At least I got about a half dozen wonderful tasting squash from it. The Scallopini squash which I set out in May are very healthy and starting to flower. They may overcome. If they are still around in a couple of weeks, I will post a picture. Note that this rot takes the plants very quickly, usually during a hot spell like we had last week. One can admire how healthy a plant looks at 9:00am and be shocked to find it all wilted by 7:00pm. Anyone have any ideas on how to fight this? Crown rot in squash and white rot in onions are two common soil based diseases which don't seem to have any good organic controls. At least I haven't found any.

Broccoli continues to produce. The garden is still full of Rutabaga and some kohlrabi ready to pick. We are harvesting potatoes right now. Nothing beats freshly dug home grown potatoes. And I picked my first Roma style tomato two days ago. We should have pole beans in two weeks. And the 60 day corn, planted in early April, should be ready within two weeks. It always takes longer than the seed packets say.

Below are three pictures from 90 day corn plot four. The first one is of the freshly double dug ground with 1/4 inch of compost on it on June 2. The second shows part of the compost having been incorporated (foreground.) And the third is from today with the corn approaching 1ft tall.


Notice how the squash on the right has grown over the past couple of weeks. This is the Scallopini I mentioned earlier in this post. If you look carefully, you will notice that the corn is covered in netting. This netting protects it and the young beans from sparrows which love to chew up young plants.

Till next time, happy gardening.

danh