The growing season continues. And finally, the “dirty dozen” guinea fowl are beginning to work out in the garden and yard eating bugs. They are naturally carnivores targeting moving insects and maybe seeds that are waving in the breeze. They’re in training as we move them around with long sticks to get them to where we want them to work. Be aware. They could be napping under squash, asparagus plants, or whereever they choose. They eat, fill up then take a group nap. Life is good as a guinea. They may put up a big fuss is they hear a hawk or some predator. Later in the day, they work their way back to the little white house where we lock them in at night.
The summer squash are taking off. There are several varieties besides the green zucchini. We plant some less “store variety” types for several reasons. The green zucchini are the first attacked by the squash bugs. If they have some skin damage they’re still good for eating. The round “pool ball” multi-colored, and oval light-green zucchinis are great for “slabbing” or slicing or stuffing. The yellows are great in any squash recipe or slabbed and grilled as well. Make sure to take a variety, and the huge “boats” that get away are the “bread zukes”. Smaller ones when chunked are great shish- ke-bob additions.
Cucumbers have a million blossoms, tomatoes are up on trellises, peppers are blossomed are are growing. Eggplants have small bulbs. Cabbages are for the most part nicely formed. When picking cabbages, press on several to see that some are hard and ready, and some are still soft and not filled out. Please take, cut with a knife, those that are hard. There are 3 types that are ready; the smaller 4” reds, the smooth green copenhagens, and the wrinkly Savoy (my favorite).
The blueberries are ripening. So keep sampling and taking a few. We’re not really a blueberry farm so we don’t get enough for freezing. I’ll be looking for a source of Michigan blueberries for freezing myself and will share this when I find one. Blackberries look great right now but so do the Japanese beetles. We’ll see.
Broccoli is ripening sequentially. Some will ripen with smaller florets, some with small heads, and some will, if allowed to finish, have larger heads. Be judicious. We all know what broccoli is supposed to look like. Pick those with the nice ripe “bead”. Take the equivalent of a head.
Someone has still not caught on to the CACA “cut and come again” method to keep longer term crops growing. Kale and Swiss chard will go all season unless you chop them to the ground. PLEASE take only the larger outer leaves and allow the centers to regrow for someone the next week. Please ask if you have any questions. Please program one of our numbers onto your phones for instant answers.
The kale beds are out-growing their row covers. There are 2 new beds just behind the old beds. One is the ruffly variety also great for kale chips. Again, CACA.
Watch out for hoses and drip lines and lumpy ground. In spite of the rainy spell, the surface is again drying. . . so we’re watering. . .and hoping for one of the thunderstorms to help us out this week.
Sweet corn has tasseled!!!!
From the gardens,
Jill, Bill, and Ben