Rain Sweet Rain - Potatoes and Corn

It finally rained in my garden last week, about 0.90 inches of rain over a two day period!!! I needed more, but I will take what ever rain I can get at this point. It rained enough to keep the soil wet for at least 2 days. The forecast is for hot and dry weather for the next week (what else is new). My brother harvested the Yukon Gold potatoes about one week ago. I would call this crop decent. These potatoes are very tasty. I think they did better than the Red Pontiacs that were grown last year. My brother also started harvesting his Silver Queen white corn about one week ago as well. The first harvest might have been just a touch early, but they were very good. I had some of this corn last night and it was superb!! BTW, the electric fence is working to perfection. The squirrels have not invaded the plot this year. I harvested the last of the early planted green beans. I have more beans planted which won't be ready for another month or so. I planted more green beans yesterday in the plot that I had my spring onions in. I also planted some top setting onions for green onions. My Roma tomatoes are finally turning red and I will begin harvesting them today. My green peppers are getting bigger now and I have continued to harvest banana peppers. I will start my fall crop of lettuce in about another week. I will also be direct seeding carrots in about a week. My broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower seedlings are getting some size to them and I anticipate transplanting them out into the garden in about another 2 weeks. Wow, I cannot believe it is almost August. For those of you in my USDA Ag Zone 5, early to mid August is the time to start your fall garden. Happy Gardening!!

Still Harvesting Vegetables in the Desert

I must be insane to continue to try to grow anything in this dry earth :-( Oh well, cannot do much about it except supplement with the artificial kind of rain. Despite every effort by Mom Nature to refuse me a garden this year, I have still been able to reap a decent harvest. I have pulled up my peas about 5 days ago and replanted with green beans 3 days ago. My broccoli was finished and so was my cabbage, so I pulled those plants up about one week ago. I pulled up my onions yesterday and started to dry them over screens (although they were about dry before I pulled them up!! See pic above). I have had a decent crop of hot banana peppers, also pictured above. The Silver Queen corn is about ready for harvest as the silks are drying, see both pics above. The electric fence around the base of the corn raised bed has kept out the squirrels.....so far. The Yukon Gold potatoes will be ready to harvest within the week. Over the past 3 weeks I have harvested cabbage, broccoli, green beans, celery, lettuce, banana peppers, peas, and onions. The Roma tomatoes are getting bigger, although I have not seen any red ones yet. I am confident it will rain again, but maybe not until September.

Harvesting Underway Now

The harvesting has kicked into full gear now!! I was away for five days this week and upon my return I could not believe how much my plants have grown. I guess my two weeks of almost nonstop watering has paid off. It did rain a little last week, about 0.80 inches of rain, but more is still needed. I think parts of Indiana received much more rain than I did. My green beans are ready for harvest, both varieties Espada and RomaII. I also picked three heads of cabbage with more to come. I also continue to harvest cucumbers, lettuce, celery, hot banana peppers, broccoli side shoots, and peas. The corn my brother planted this year, Silver Queen, is already over six feet tall and has started to tassel. So far, the electric fence has worked on keeping the squirrels out (Knock on Wood). The Yukon Gold potatoes are growing OK, but I think the raised bed had dried out maybe too much between waterings. My onions tops have started to fall over, so it will not be long before I begin harvesting them. The variety of red onion, Red Bull, which I planted for the first time this year is not very big which is somewhat disappointing. I really like the flavor of red onions, but I have yet to find a variety that grows well for me. The yellow onion "Candy" continues to impress me year after year.

Overall, I would rate the harvest from my spring crops as above average this year despite the unusually hot and dry conditions. My broccoli did really well this year.

The Japanese Beetles have arrived, but I have only seen minimal damage on a few of the vegetable plants.

In a few days, I will be starting my fall seeds of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower to transplant out in early to mid August. I cannot believe I am already talking about fall crops!!!

Well that is all for now, I have to go harvest green beans.........YUM!!!