Cucumbers and Onions are This Weeks Harvests

Cucumbers were one of the first summer plants added into the garden this season and it makes sense that I would start harvesting them in the beginning and middle of July. I have several vines with plenty of cucumbers on them so I should be harvesting many more of them throughout the month. The onion stems had fallen over and it was time to dig them up and getting dry. I like to dry them outside in the hot sun in order to use them as soon as possible. Storing them in a dry garage or basement is another way to dry them as well.

It looks like my tomatoes are the next on the list for harvesting this month. There were a couple of small tomatoes that I should have picked this past week, but instead left it on the vine and will probably feed it to the earthworms. Most of my tomato plants have at least one fruit or a cluster of fruit on them which means it is almost time to start harvesting them. I am getting ready for having my BLT sandwiches very soon along with possibly making some sauce with my Roma tomatoes and store them for the winter.

Corn still has a little ways to go before I start seeing or harvesting any corn this season. The good news is that I am starting to see the tassels coming from them which is definitely a good sign. Once I start seeing the silks coming from the stalks, then it is only a matter of time until I pick the very first ear of corn.

My spring crop on the other hand I have been picking through the summer. I cut my cabbages, some kale, and a few heads of broccoli at the moment. I have brussel sprouts that have not started producing, but I am confident that they will start real soon. I have added mulch to all my spring plants in order to keep the soil cool through these hot summer months. I like to harvest them all season long as long as the weather doesn’t force them to flower or go to seed. My broccoli plants are resistant to this hot weather, but I am not sure about my kale or brussel sprouts. This is why adding mulch is important and it increases the possibility of harvesting throughout the year.

My grapes and my raspberry plants are also growing well and the grape vine is starting to produce grapes. Raspberries usually produce on the second year so I am not expecting to see any since this is the first year I planted them. My grapes have been in the ground for a couple of years so I am not surprised they are beginning to show fruit. Although I haven’t built a trellis for them yet I still have some time until they will need it.