a little rain feels good. The plants are upright and ready to receive. We caught 6 woodchucks so far. Watermelon seems to be the magic lure in dry weather. They often manage to get it out of the trap without it closing on them, but we got some. Unfortunately it has not made a difference in lettuce grow back. They get chewed down again and again, very frustrating. So we don't have any for wholesale or much for market. I have some endive, which is a bitter green, looks like lettuce, is in a different family, chicory I think. Bitter is good for the gall bladder I was told, anyone know?
We are excited to pick peas, the first peas are always so fresh and sweet. After a few weeks it is more of a chore, but today we are into it.
This week we will plant the last big field of potatoes and last carrots for the fall. It seems far away to think of fall, but these are the deadlines to get a crop. We are weeding parsnips again, prolific weeds in that field. Also we need to trellis the second peas and the high-tunnel tomatoes. It looks like a jungle in the high-tunnel. The tomatoes are branching out, the cucumbers are climbing the trellis and the beans are putting out tentacles to reach high. And then some weeds too. The zucchinis are starting to grow zucchinis. I wonder if the pollinators come after they are done with Patreesha's red poppys. They seem to prefer them over anything and she has so many.
We had a fun going away party for Nick who took a biology job in Arizona. His SLU Greenhouse mate Raina is coming tomorrow until college starts. It means training a new person, but the people from the Greenhouse are so fun and it is good to support one another, they buy my veggies, I give them a job.
Garlic fest is coming! The date is July 18-19. We start digging Saturday 9am and start peeling by 10am. If you would like to come this year, please call or e-mail and sign up for a two hour time slot or slots, and let me know if you are planning to bring family or friends. We want to make this as safe as possible and will only have up to 6 people in the field and up to 8 people peeling at a time. Chairs will be 6' apart and we will not have food, some snacks pre-packaged. If you bring your own cup we can serve tee and coffee. Please wear a mask and use hand sanitizer. If the next time slot has openings and you want to stay on that is fine. I will keep you posted about music.
Have a good week and peace,
Dulli