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The weather continues to lurch to extremes! Humidity, high heat, and torrential rains. A big test for our gardens. It can be disheartening to see tomatoes split because they got too much rain too fast or to see beautiful annuals gasping for water with their leaves pulled close to their stems. Remember that this will soon pass.
We are entering August which is a month of hot days but cooler nights. I will continue to feed my tomatoes and annuals, but by mid August I stop feeding my perennials and roses. They need to prepare for the upcoming winter. It seems that we are always needing to think a season ahead. My weekly feeding consists of about two teaspoons of fish emulsion in my watering can.
While the season seems to be winding down, this does not mean that you can’t start a few seeds. I am starting to put more lettuce in pots to have fresh greens for salads. You can plant carrot seeds without worrying. They will grow well and can be harvested even after a frost. I have also planted more beans. I love my purple-podded pole beans. They hang like decorations off my bird-feeding tree. My bird-feeding tree is not that attractive to many, as I have left several dead branches on it. I find that the woodpeckers love the dead branches, and often birds will hide seeds in the bark of the branches. Sadly, the squirrels are watching and will pull the carefully concealed seeds out. Ah, wildlife drama.
I have heard that some people have been starting zucchinis at this time of the year, so I decided to try that. I planted three seeds about a week ago and they are up. I will be interested to see if I get any zucchinis.
Despite my best efforts, my pumpkin succumbed to the squash beetle. I had wrapped the stem in aluminum foil, which is a great way to deter them, but when I checked, I found that there was a little space that I missed, and the bug found her way in to lay eggs. Lesson learned.
The lovely heritage spinach I have, Red Malabar, is a vining spinach. I have it scrambling about on my woodpile and with the firewood arriving this weekend, I shall have to take care not to damage it as I stack. The sweet tiny pink flowers will all turn to seeds and be harvested as soon as they are ready, so I can plant another crop next year. Sometimes I find this spinach difficult to find so saving seeds makes sense.
I am so pleased with my potatoes this year. I shall have quite a few once I harvest them. Enough for a few meals and to save for next year. They have formed seeds as well, and I shall collect those and see if I can grow anything from them. That will be a fun experiment. I have been digging around in one of the containers to get a few of the little new potatoes that are so delicious. I am very careful to have these potatoes on their own, so they do not cross pollinate with other potatoes. These potatoes have been in my family for a long time.
PS. My gladiolas were blown down by the wind and because of the too-many cats I can’t bring them inside to enjoy. So, I displayed them in vases outside!
On Sunday, my firewood arrives and that starts me down the road of preparing for winter. It seems strange to be doing that with all the heat and humidity, but starting to prepare now makes it easier later. Enjoy your week. Judith
(Email: sghorticultural@gmail.com) Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/category/veggie-bites/
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