The Heat is Coming

I was sick yesterday so got nothing done in the garden. It is amazing the change in just two days. One of my impatiens disappeared. Was it a bird or cutworms? Who knows. Luckily I kept the extras from planting day. They are a little root bound, but they might be ok. I planted one. If it was a cutworm, then it will take that one down too and I’ll find him and plant my last one.

I also found a self-seeded basil in my garden. He was so cute. I moved him near my other basils since he will never be able to grow where he planted himself - right next to the compost pile (which is good) and at the drip line of the crab apple tree (which seems to be bad). I’m assuming the crab apple tree is why I can’t grow anything well in that bed. I’ve never heard of apple trees being allelopathic to anything other than themselves, but I can’t think of anything else that would effect plant growth in the area. I had trouble with another bed that was where I cut down a crabapple. It kept trying to regrow and send up shoots and I kept cutting it back. For the years that I did this, nothing grew well there.

My diakons were bolting. The weather has been fine for them and it is under the 60 days it should take them to grow to full size, I’m guessing they hated me pulling up their neighbors to thin them out. I did this less than a week ago. I’ve learned my lesson. Next time, thin early and the plants won’t bolt as easily.

I moved one of my Fun Jen bok choi. It is way too close to my other plants. I really have to learn to space these out more. I can’t plant them like lettuce and thin and eat as I go. I really like the plants full size, not baby size. While I was in the Asian green section, I harvested a tatsoi and a mizuna. Did you know mizuna has roots that are similar to radish, though purpley? I had no clue. I wonder if they are edible. Also while I was there, I also noticed ragged holes in my Chinese cabbage. My slugs are getting worse. I found an itty bitty one on one of the leaves and his mommy under the leaves. It may be time for beer parties in Asian greens.

The other harvest for the day is oregano. Sadly the plants were splashed on with the recent rain, so very dirty. I really don’t usually wash my herbs before drying (I never put anything nasty on them). But when they are dirty, I have to. Then I put them in the dehydrator for 6 hours. I probably didn’t need quite that long, but I was off at a function for that time, so had no choice. (And don’t worry what looks like condensation on the bottle is not, it is just oregano dust.)

The other order of the day was preparing for the hot weather. We are going to have 4 days in a row in the 90Fs. Yuck. Our average for June is 70Fs. We usually get a heat wave, but 4 days that hot is really usual. Sadly my peas are just starting to bloom. I really hope they survive the heat. The lettuce will hate it, so I thinned it out and mulched it. I thought about rigging up an old sheet to make shade, but didn’t have time before I had to leave. My hoop tunnel for the eggplants was still up, so I took that down.