Finally I have a chance to escape to the garden. This summer is turning out to be very busy and keeping me away from the plot. But with the regular rain, everything is growing fine without my attention. I have a fantastic crop of broccoli now ready to pick. Also the beets are sizing up.
This harvest includes one head of broccoli (Blue Wind, Johnny's), beets (Chiogga and Detroit White) and a couple little radish (French Breakfast).
I noticed that nothing munched on the leaves of your plants. What do you use to keep them away?
ReplyDeleteNothing is keeping bugs away. I have been lucky and my broccoli is perfect (knock on wood). I do have a few miners in the beets, maybe 1/5th of the leaves.
ReplyDeleteI will post photos soon of my cabbage and radicchio leaves that have a problem. I don't know what it is. I need to upload the photos still. Maybe tomorrow... I almost think it looks like the leaves are burnt in many spots.
They look great!
ReplyDeleteMaybe ladybugs and/or syrphid flies are eating the pests before they can chomp those beautiful broccoli leaves. Did you plant extra flowers for the honeybees? Or maybe some herbs have bolted and gone to flowering. The nectar in the flowers is good for syrphids, too.
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ReplyDeleteIt's a great season so far this year. Everything seems like a few weeks ahead of schedule.
ReplyDeleteHas anybody seen any signs of airborne or soil born diseases in zone 6, dare I say the dreaded "B" word???
There is reportedly blight in Cheshire CT. My garden partner also got an email from Rodale discussing the blight that turned up in PA. Hope it stays dry for awhile!!
ReplyDeleteI checked today and there is NO sign of B-word in my garden.
ReplyDeleteI have "hidden" all my soliacaous (eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers) in my home garden this year. It is shady and they are growing disappointingly slow, but no "B" (B=late blight).
I will check around other community plots in our 140 plot garden soon to see if I see any signs.
Disappointing to see the previous comment./.... We have had too much rain here too.
Pam,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I try very hard to add flowers. These help vegetable crops for many reasons. Right now, I have only my bolted mustards flowering. They were so pretty that I "let go" a whole row. I have planted many annual seeds that will bloom soon, but I'm waiting still.
A nice thing about a community plot is that there are lots of nearby flowers.
Right now is a lull for flowers. Spring blooming perennials are finished and midsummer perennials and annuals are one the way. I was thinking today about adding more midseason flowers. I'm glad if the flowers I have are the reason my broccoli are doing well.