July 15th in the Garden

The squash plants are up and growing well.  The sunflowers are over the fence.  The  banana peppers seem to be flourishing with the cages.  I planted the sunflowers by the squash, cucumber and zucchini, but it seems to be create too much shade for the cucumbers.  I think they are dying.

The sweet potatoes 'beauregard'  seem to be growing well, but I have no comparison.  I've never grown them before.  I tried putting some slips in last year, but I was too late in the season and they did not get started.

The Tomatoes are Thriving

The weather has been great for gardening this year.  After last year's "Freeze Dried" season its a welcome blessing.  We've only had a to water the garden a few times.  Unfortunately it seems a bumper year for the Japanese Beetles and Bunnies!  The bunnies have been murder on the tomatoes.  They skipped the lettuce earlier but have loved the tomatoes.  I've had to keep the bases trimmed up.  Even with a fenced backyard, they get in!  

I have had to stake some of the later tomatoes now too as they are outgrowing their cages.  

Partly because you can't buy a decent tomato cage anymore.  They are small and weak.  So now I have to stake and tie.  I have used bamboo in the past but have to replace them every 2 years. 

This year I chose these new plastic coated poles from Lowes that have nubby texture to grip the ties.  The should last a LONG time.

Even with frequent caging, tying and trimming of the suckers, the tomato plants are huge and getting bigger.  They are full of fruit, so the trimming is working.  I just wish more would ripen at once!  I'm greedy!

First Green Bean Harvest.....and doing battle with bugs

Green beans!  The 'Contender' bush beans had a nice sized harvest.  Two of my kids helped snap them as I reminisced of snapping beans on the back patio with my mom.  My kids normally are not fans of green beans (they actually prefer canned to frozen - EEEEKKKK!) but I promised to fix them in the least healthiest (and best tasting) way - slow cooked with bacon.  I also let them stick a little at the end - I know - but I love that taste!  They actually liked them.  My 2nd oldest had seconds!

Also discovered Japanese Beetles going to town on my runner bean tepee.  Sprayed the runner beans with Organicide from Lowe's.

Status of Melons, Red Bell Pepper and Bean Tepee

My first attempt at cantaloupe in the south, both plants ('Hale's Jumbo' and 'Ambrosia') have set some good looking melons.

The bean tepee is thriving and the red bell peppers are getting larger, but not ripening yet.

2nd Fish Emulsion Feeding

Today I returned to my garden after being gone for 2 weeks.  I weeded, trimmed, tied and fed it.  Not to mention some serious harvesting!

Planted fall squash, caged the last tomatoes and some of the peppers

Planted a row of acorn squash and a row of butternut squash.  The two poles mark the rows until the seedlings sprout.

Today I caged the last of the tomatoes before leaving town for two weeks.  Luckily my hubby and oldest (along with my younger two!) are going to care for the garden.  Unfortunately none of them LOVE it the way I do!

Some of peppers are getting so full of fruit, their bending the plant over.  For the first time ever, I think I'm going to cage my peppers.  I had to tie one up that tipped over in the last storm.

The beans are all going nuts.  The bean teepee with Ky Wonder and Scarlet Runner beans is filling in nicely.  Both the bush beans (contender and tendperpod) are doing well.  I've never had much luck growing beans here in the south.  I did much better in the north.  Hope this year is better.

The sunflowers are starting to come up behind the squash and zucchini

Another harvest

Today we harvested LARGE zucchini, summer squash, tons of banana peppers.  

Put new support stakes in the already caged early girls and bradley.