Second Heat Wave of June

Well we had our second heat wave in June after a very cold start. We usually don't have two by now. Usually the real "heat" doesn't hit until July. I put heat in quotes because a heat wave for us is just three days in the 90s. We had 94, 92, and 93. Later this week we are supposed to get yet another one. The forecast for us is hot, hot, hot. For some of you our hot is just your normal. But our June only averages 77F as a high and July 82. Us heat wimps live in the north for a reason. We hate the heat.

I have been getting out into the garden in the mornings only. I stay far away in the afternoon. I noticed when I was checking on things that some of the corn is setting two ears. I've never ever had that happen before. But I still have corn woes. One bed has been seeded three times and has just couple of plants up. A different one that I started later all came up on the first try. Every single one. I had to thin the extra ones out. I'm using Ambrosia sweet corn this year and it is way too persnickety in its germination. I won't grow it again. I need one that can germinate even in the cooler temps because we have had such wild swings.

I also picked two unfertilized zucchini from the garden. There were no male blossoms to go around. But today there was both a male and a female so I stripped off the petals of the male and used it to hand pollinate. My zukes are still under a row cover so I'll have to hand pollinate for a while. Oh and where my last year's zucchini were growing I have a row cover over the broccoli. I found a vine borer stuck inside that cover. I got a good laugh out of it.

And speaking of nasties, The cucumber beetles have arrived. I've got a dish of soapy water I keep out there now and pick them off every morning. Though the cukes are blooming now.

This morning my big chore was to take down the fava beans. They were covered in black aphids. Last year I left the aphids on and an army of lady bugs arrived to deal with the problem.

I did find a few larvae in there, but very few compared to last year. So sad. The fava beans didn't do very wall. Last year I got more and they had more than twice the space this year. My lady bugs just let me down. But all the plants are pulled and in the compost now. What larvae I did find were moved to other areas of the garden. I'll let that section sit for a while before the fall brassicas are planted. I haven't even started the brassica transplants yet. I have to do that soon.

I've been weeded pretty much every day now. The heat has been making the weeds grow like crazy. Especially the crab grass. Today I watered. We hadn't really had rain since last Monday. So with the heat it has been a long time.