Already Planning for Next Year

I've decided that I want to reclaim the rose and lily bed for vegetables next year. Here's what it looks like now.

My plan is to remove two of the roses, leaving only Lillian Austin at the far end. I'll make two beds, maybe with boards, maybe not, with a path in between them for access. The lilies may go somewhere else, or not, and the herbs will go into the bed along the south wall of the house, where the melons are now.

Onions

Today I pulled all the onions. This was supposed to be a storage variety (New York Early), but it's obvious that many of them would not be appropriate for storage. They had very hard flower stalks going down into the onion. I saved the ones that didn't have the flower stalk, about half of them, and cut the roots and tops off. They are now drying in the bed. I don't have a lot of hope for them, but we'll see.

Next year I'll start my own plants from seeds, a variety I know will be good.

Two More Firsts

Yesterday I picked the first pole beans and the first aubergine.

The zucchinis are starting to get ahead of me. Right now I have nine in the refrigerator. I think I'll grate some and freeze them for zucchini bread later.

I decided it was time to braid the garlic. It wasn't hard, and I think it turned out OK.

Next I'll try the onions, but they aren't dry yet.

The squirrels have started in on the Orcas pears, so I picked them all. We got fourteen. They're much smaller than the Ubileens.

New Compost Bin

Yesterday I went to Fresh Start Market to buy two compost bins. I've noticed more and more plastic in the compost I've been getting and decided it's time to make my own again. Unfortunately, they have sold out of the bins. But they did have some small bags of compost on sale for $1.50 each, so I bought ten. Then today I set to work making a compost bin. I have a roll of 28" fencing, so I made a circle with that. But the holes are big enough to allow critters (rats!) to get in, so I lined it with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. I secured it with three 2 foot rebar stakes. I still don't have a top on it, but I'm working on that, mostly to keep raccoons out. I have lots more fence left, so if I need to I can add a second level.

Still More Fall Planting

I've sown rutabagas and turnips for fall and winter harvest. I'm not sure if we really like them, so I didn't put in too many. I still have to find a place for spinach.

Going on the advice of Craig Lehollier, the Tomato Guy, I dug up four of my pepper plants that weren't doing much and put them in five gallon plastic pots. We'll see how they do.

We're very close to having our first Stupice tomato. And I picked all the remaining Ubileen pears. They've been falling and have been eaten by squirrels. I assumed the squirrels caused them to fall, but I checked and they are ready to pick. There aren't may of them (twelve), but they're huge.

More Fall Planting

I sowed a patch of snap peas (bush type) in the squash bed. I also sowed a row of kohlrabi and a row of beets, one on each side of the asparagus bed. And I sowed the last two rows of carrots.

I've harvested the last of the cabbage. One head had split, but the rest are fine. I made three more jars of sauerkraut, plus I left some for cole slaw and stir fries.

The weather has become very summerlike, with highs mostly in the 80s. The cherry tomatoes are ripening, but so far no other tomatoes. There's one cucumber about three inches long and an aubergine about two inches long. And I found the first tiny green bean. I've had to extend the bean trellis with some string. I hope it's enough.

We're getting lots of zucchini now, and the Delicata squash is finally being pollinated.

Getting Ready for Fall

Today I set up a seedling bed under the peach tree. I added some potting soil and compost and sowed a row each of cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. I'm hoping that by the time they're ready to transplant I'll have some place to put them. Right now I'm not so sure.

After the first two cherry tomatoes disappeared(!) I put a ring of 24" hardware cloth around the plant. We now have another tomato almost ready. We'll see if the wire stops any further theft.

Things are still moving slowly with the lack of sun and heat, but it looks like we have a good week ahead of us.