The heat is on here in my neck of Missouri. 94 degrees at 7:35 p.m. No measurable rainfall going on three weeks, after getting inches at a time up to first of July. I am having reminders of last summer's heat and drought as I have had to start watering.
The cucumbers are a plenty and I got my first picking of green beans earlier this week. No ripe tomatoes yet but many loaded plants. I have planted some more beans for fall picking. I got my sweet potato slips out and they are loving this hot weather. The snow peas are done producing and I am allowing the last pods to develop seed which I will pick hull and plant for a fall harvest.
I have a few peppers near ready to pick and many more blossoms. My potatoes were planted late this year and even in spite of the heat and dryness most of the plants are still green, mainly because I mulched them with thick layers of straw. For now I am just digging up what I need, that is until I see the dirt monsters begin to feast on them. Last digging was not particularly easy as the dirt is beginning to congeal into a solid mass, and not even the potato fork goes into the soil easily.
The chiggers are so plentiful this year I have to soak myself in bug repellent before I can step into the grass. I hate that sticky feeling and the smell after I spray myself down, but IF I don't I am in agony for days after getting a chigger bite. I have noticed far more destructive bugs this year than during the heat and drought last year.
That’s interesting, for the most part we have had less pests than usual, and our theory was that the drought killed a lot and solarized the soil.
We had the low 90s high 80s today, but the basement kitchen has stayed steady at 75 degrees, with just the fans on. Hubby just brought in some produce. It looks like I’ll be doing a batch of pickles and maybe some green beans too tonight.
The sun is hovering just over the horizon, so I need to take a turn around the garden and see what I can do for the next 15 minutes or so before dusk set in and the skitters come out to feast.
Then I got to start on the cukes. So I’ll be off the thread for a while. Later.