quasar's Blog

It has been one of those near perfect summer days here in Northern West Virginia.  Lots of sunshine and the high temperature was only 75 with very low humidity....very untypical for the upper Ohio valley.

Now for the bad news,  squash bugs have gotten to my zucchini plants.  I did manage to harvest at least 10 or so before the plants started to die.  I pulled them up tonight and replanted.  Do you think I can get them to bear in the remaining days of summer.  With a 60 day maturity  they should start producing around the first day of fall.  It's a gamble but why not? 

The other bad news is the cucumber beetle has has gotten to the cukes causing bacterial wilt.  Only two plants remain and there is just one solitary 4 inch cuke on one of the vines.  Don't know if they will make it or not.  I will probably replant them as well.

Losing plants is a reality of gardening but it is never easy for me.  Always makes me a bit frustrated even though I know it is going to happen. 

Some of my Roma tomatoes had blossom end rot early on but they now see alright,  probably a result of the very dry growing season. 

This evening I harvested another mess of beans from my first planting,  that makes four.  Then I pulled  up the plants and prepared the soil for the next crop,  probably fall turnips.  I plant my beans intensively in small 3 x 5 beds.  This gives us enough beans for several meals and few to put in the freezer.  I probably could have squeezed another picking out of this plot but my second planting at another location in the garden is coming on and will be ready about mid-August.  I will  make my third planting about Wednesday of this week.

Also cleared out the remaining green onions that I had planted in the spring....about a 3 x 3 section.  The tops are long gone but there remained about a dozen half dollar sized onions in the ground.  This little plot is now available to put some brussels sprout plants in that I had started from seed a few weeks back.

Next to go will be the spring lettuce beds,  a couple of 3x3 plots.  Believe it or not,  I am still harvesting lettuce off these plantings but they are now bolting so that is about over.  This lettuce is in a partially shaded section of the garden and that is probably why it has lasted this long.  I will do one final harvest this week then clear it  out. 

That's about it for now.  Most everything is doing well....cukes and zukes aside. 

God bless.