Garden Share Collective - July 2015

June has been a very variable month. We have had highs in the 50Fs and highs in the 90Fs. But at least we are getting rain again.

The spring cool weather crops are almost done. Most will be pulled out in a week or two. Some like the broccoli will produce all year long, so they get to stay. Our hot is not the hot of the south, so some years they produce very well over the summer.

The hot weather crops are starting to grow. The corn and squash are doing well. The cucumbers have started to climb. The sweet potatoes are taking over their bed. Sadly though the melons were eaten down by slugs. They were replanted, but they are being slow to restart. I hope it doesn't end up being a melon free year.

June Completed

• June 3, planted second half of lettuce succession, planted corn and Sweet Potato squash 2W (third succession)
• June 7th, resowed failed turnips, seeded corn (fourth succession) and butternut squash in bed 2E, resowed 4 bean seeds (all I had) after the groundhog ate the others
• June 7th, planted melons
• June 14th, reseeded melons after being eaten down by slugs
• June 15th, seeded turnip succession
• June 16th, started transplants under lights for broccoli, basil
• June 17th, seeded squash bed 6W, reseeded more melons
• June 19th, planted corn seed 6W (5th succession), planted lettuce succession
• June 19th, ripped out sage plant in herb circle and replaced with rosemary
• June 27th, started transplants under lights for fall cabbages, kohlrabi, and amaranth
• June 29thth, seeded amaranth at ends of bed 7W and 8E
• June 29th, planted Broccoli, lettuce succession, basil
• June 29th, redid part of strawberry bed
• Netted peach and apple trees

Harvests

Harvests started out with greens, greens, and more greens. But by mid June the greens avalanche was over. I still am picking greens, but at a much more sedate pace.

Now my harvests are more varied. This month I've picked bunching onions, a few head of garlic, garlic scapes, broccoli, carrots, Michihili cabbage, bok choy, mizuna, tatsoi, cabbage, celery, chard, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach, snowpeas, pea shoots, and turnips. I've also picked a lot of herbs - chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, mint, oregano, parsley, rose petals, sage, and tarragon. All in all it was over a 100 pounds of veggies.

For fruits I've picked 16.9 pounds of strawberries, 2 pounds of raspberries, and 3.5 pounds of currants.

Frozen packet with 6 cups of spinach

Preserving

I've been busy drying herbs. I like to replace them every year. Most have been done already, though I can always use more of some things like parsley. I could use a truckload of that if I have the production and time to dry it all. I froze a good quantity of the strawberries and a few of the raspberries. I'll eat them up in my breakfast smoothies over the next few months. They won't last until winter. It would be nice to grow that much, but I just don't. I froze the currants as I'll make jam from them later this year when I get a chance. Most of my preservation though has been the frozen vegetables that I store for the winter. June, especially early June, is my biggest preserving month for greens.

Tally of what is in storage from the garden

Freezer

• Brococli - 13.5 cups
• Chard - 14 cups
• Mizuna - 23 cups
• Kale - 30 cups
• Spinach - 61 cups
• Chinese cabbage - 4 cups
• Turnips - 5 cups

I need about 180 cups of greens to get me through the winter without skimping. Right now I have 145. I need 35 more cups. I didn't think I'd get anywhere near my goal, but I'm making very good progress. Well as long as I don't have to eat any of those greens during the slim times during the summer. I have planted amaranth, but it should have been planted weeks ago. I hope it serves to fill in the gaps.

July To Do

• Seed transplants for fall kale
• Harvest and dry garlic
• Replant garlic section with mustard or more greens
• Weed and water
• Prune currants and gooseberries after harvest
• Plant two carrot beds
• Plant cabbage and kohlrabi bed
• Keep lettuce and turnip successions going
• Seed more cilantro

This post is part of the Garden Share Collective hosted by Lizzie at Strayed From the Table.