[Augie]

Hot-n-sticky for the most part with plenty of wind and rain here in Central Missouri this past week. It's been nice to have a break from constant watering.

I've been harvesting 20-25 carrots every few days. Those go through Mrs. Augie's juicer with the top going to the horses and the shreds going to the chickens. A little something for everyone. lol

I chopped the sweet corn patch on Saturday. Trimmed the cobs and tossed in the fridge overnight, then boiled in the shuck, cooled, peeled, and the corn sliced off into freezer bags for use later. If you haven't tried boiling in the shuck it's worth the attempt. I trim the pointy end back far enough to get rid of any earworm mess and leave the shuck attached at the butt end. It's amazingly easy to get rid of the silks when done this way. Most of them will come off when the shuck is peeled back. I didn't get the yield that I normally would due to the wind lodging that started right as the plants were beginning to tassle. It had almost stood itself back up when the next round of winds came and knocked it down again. Pollination was very uneven with some ears not being pollinated at all. 2nd planting will go in this week if we get another day or two of dry weather. Hopefully that one will live its days unmolested by the wind and bring a bumper crop to the garden.

Mosaic virus, squash bugs, and cucumber beetles have been bad this year. My cukes are pretty much finished. Spaghetti squash all dead but one. Cantaloupes are setting fruit but most of the vines are looking bad. Gourds have set a mountain of fruit but are also suffering from withering vines. Watermelon unaffected so far.

I tried Candle Fire okra for the first time last summer, and was so pleased with it that it's the only variety I planted this time. It's nice to look at and much easier on the skin than the old standby Clemson Spineless, and it stays tender even if you let it go a fews days too long before picking. The color is really nice but it mostly turns green when it's cooked. Good stuff.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Augie! The Okra Nice!

Severe storm here last week. Something like 100K people lost power. Lost mine for 5 days, very difficult without AC or in some rooms, light. Luckily we had Running water (Hot and cold.) Spent a lot of time bundling storm debris which is still sitting in bundles in the front of the house.

This year i planted about a dozen Northern Xtra-Sweet™ Hybrid Sweet Corn, 67 days. (Was that yours?) Its about ready. It was in a sheltered area along a fence so it did not lodge. Not certain I got good germination, since I did not plant a large number, but the ears are growing. Since small thought I would give it a try.

I am getting cucumbers, but they are protected by insect netting. I used the Beit Alpha types so they do not need to be uncovered for pollination. all my other squash has been disappointing.Two zucchini so far (!) and 2 patty pan squash. (Tons of blossoms....I picked a bunch of blossoms and made a squash blossom quiche. ) I have one bush butternut squash. Last year for the bush variety. Several Red Kuri did set and I hope the vines survive the borers long enough to get to maturity. (They are running up among the supports for the pole beans which are just about finished in this heat and with all the cucumber beetles.)