Here’s the garden update I’ve been wanting to do for weeks.
The tomatoes are taller than I am and outgrowing their cages.
We’re going to eat the first two red ones tonight, after we swim through the humidity to pick them. The air is so thick that it blurred these pictures. They’re Super Sweet Hybrid 100 Cherry Tomatoes.
Still haven’t seen fruit on the Brandywine variety, the Super Beefsteak are producing fruits even in the tiny pots. The Roma plants are full of fruit and keep getting bigger, darker, and shinier. Blossom end rot is still a factor with the Roma plants in the large containers.
On Friday and Saturday we had a lot of wind pass through the area. A few plants were knocked over, but no fruits were knocked off. To keep everything standing, I had to tie some of the outer cages to the inner sturdier cages.
But life is not just about tomatoes. Last week the Kentucky Wonder pole beans started producing in time for the sugar snap peas to taper off. I have to stand on a cooler to reach all of the beans at the top.
The spinach and radishes are officially finished. I planted a bunch of eggplants on the end of the row, and then kale along the sides. I’ve never planted kale before, and I didn’t realize it was a cool weather crop. The back side of the tomato box stays shaded sometimes, so we’ll see how they do. Otherwise, I’ll probably just keep planting more chard, lettuce and beets. The beets are so big and really need to be picked. They wilt really fast on a hot day. I should roast and freeze a big bunch.
The cabbage is just about ready to be picked too!
Finally, my favorite, the cucumbers are doing great. We’ve eaten, made taziki, and made cold soup with them so far. The dill is coming in too. I adore pickles, but nothing beats them fresh with a little salt and pepper. I think we’ve picked about 9 so far. We picked two on Saturday, and after the second rain, two popped up in their place.
The hot wax peppers are coming in, but seem to take a long time to change colors and get hot. I’ve tried to wait a few out, but they look like they’re really getting heavy for the plant so I pick them. We’re still waiting on the zucchini, mature swiss chard, brussels sprouts, and for a second yellow squash.