It’s July! The garden is starting to burst! July meals will be full of freshness and flavor. Right now I spend half my time harvesting and the other half pulling weeds. I hope your garden has more harvest than weeds! Here’s to a delicious July!
How much do you know about soil? I thought I knew it all (ha) until I took the Soil Smart Quiz. It has 10 true/false questions about healthy soil. My score was 8 out of 10. I guess I’d better keep digging to learn more!
Northern and Sothern United States
- Harvest!! Check crops daily and harvest at the appropriate time. It’s a big disappointment to harvest a crop that is over ripe! I waited too long and some of my peas were over ripe. Lettuce gets really bitter when it’s over ripe. We are eating peas, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, green onions and one cherry tomato (it tasted like heaven).
- Remove annual and perennials flowers after they have withered. Consider saving the seeds from the heads for next year.
- Watering is very important this time of year. Plants need an inch of water a week. Watering deeply in the early in the morning is best!
- Fertilize heavy feeders. Some plants need more N-P-K than others. This week I fertilized tomatoes, green beans and sweetcorn. Read the directions and don’t over fertilize.
- Insects and disease. Watch for holes, mildew, spotting and insect droppings. If you catch the damage early, you can prevent a significant harvest loss.
- Keep control of the weeds. They are stealing nutrients and water from your plants. If the soil is bare, weeds will grow. Putting down mulch will help prevent weeds from growing and keep the ground cool and moist.
Happy Gardening!
