Heat and Humidity

I am truly sick of the heat and humidity. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in about two weeks. I don’t have air conditioning and the ceiling fans can only do so much. It doesn’t help the sleeping situation when Max (now down to a slim 72 pounds) insists on sleeping in bed with me – and I mean right next to me. Some part of him always needs to touch a part of me – even if it is just his paw across my leg. I usually don’t mind but it is so friggin’ hot! Ok, I am now whining….off to the garden.
The heat has been good to get a jump start on all those veggies that normally don’t come out until August. I have corn ears already – and have had them for a few weeks. It was only 49 days after planting them. But the raccoon have already found them! Carl the Coyote has arrived and I do have a picture of him to post – but again I am at work and do not have access to my files here.
The spaghetti squash is looking good. I think there are about 10-11 of them so far – which isn’t too bad for 6 plants! It is climbing all over the corn stalks – so much for the 3-sisters method of having the squash grow along the ground to keep out the weeds!
Both types of melons are growing nicely. Lots of flowers! But they don’t seem to want to climb up the trellis I so diligently built for them. They prefer to ramble along the ground twisting themselves in the hay. They require daily intervention to make sure that they stay the path.
The first sowing of edamame has already started to produce beans. I need to keep an eye on them because the harvest window is so short I don’t want to miss them. The second sowing is just starting to flower.
At last the tomatoes have picked up – the Sungolds are starting to turn. I was able to grab a few as snacks the other day – while I was patiently trying to train the cucumbers up their trellis. Apparently this is the year for all tendril growing veggies to ignore the given growth pattern of up – and just grow anywhere they please! I have only been able to snag two zucchini so far. Which makes me sad – there are so many gardens that I see when out walking that are exploding with zukes. I am just hoping that I am a late bloomer.

Holy Heat!

All this heat and humidity is really starting to get to me (not to mention everything I am trying to grow)! It hit 100 yesterday and according to the news that has happened in July since 2002. It has been in the high 90's for about 4-5 days already and today the forecast was to be cooler. My thermometer says 82 - and that is in the shade. Ugh.
I did pick my first zucchini over the weekend and there is another one on its way. If this heat keeps up I think it will be ready in about 5 minutes! My rain barrels have been empty for weeks and dragging around that friggin' hose everywhere is just a pain in the butt. But you do what you gotta do to keep things growing.
The random tomatoes that came from my compost are some sort of cherry tomato. They all have flowers in bunches. I can't wait to see what type they are. I am hoping for some yummy heirloom. Just please don't let them be Sweet 100's. Too many of those last year - I want something different.
Here is the one that is growing out of the bin.

Right above it you can see a ventilation hole. That is the size of the hole that this sucker found and decided to grow out of! I took this picture at about 11:00 this morning so you can see that it gets very little light. You can also see that I do not weed anything over there. Dandelions, clover, ridiculously long grass. It is very unsightly over there but I have bigger things to worry about and take care of. Maybe if I didn't work I would have the time to handle every little inch of my yard but then I would be poor and wouldn't be able to afford any of the tools to do so! Ah - the perfect Catch-22.

Bugs, Critters and More Tomatoes

It is now completely out of control! I now have a tomato plant growing out of my compost bin! I guess that kind of makes sense seeing as the random tomatoes that are growing around the yard all came from said bin. The holes along the bin are not that large so this lucky tomato seed found just enough light to sneak out and start spreading. This particular one does not have any blooms yet but all the other wayward ones do. I am thinking about leaving it alone and see what happens.

As far as my aphid invasion - it seems to be under control. I used a bit of the saucy spray and they seemed to have found another place to go (I am hoping over the fence and to my neighbor’s yard).

The corn has already started to tassel which of course means that something found its way into the plot and gnawed down two stalks! I made a make-shift chicken wire fence around the remaining stalks. I made sure that the wire is curled out and then for some added protection I cut some of the wire so if anything tries to get over they will get poked. But you know it will be me that gets poked - not them!

The Fastbreak Melons are starting to flower too! They haven't even reached 5" high yet but there are two tiny yellow flowers already. The weather has been so friggin' hot lately - the melons must be in heaven (while the rest of us feel like we are in hell).

Tomorrow's forecast is 70's, sunny and no humidity - perfect day to get out there and get some overdue chores done.