Glory Days!
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year, so far, at my home in Stouffville, Ontario. 36 degrees C.
I try to imagine what 6 months from this date will look like. That, of course, is impossible, but I do know what I was doing 6 months ago, on January 15th. I looked it up in my business calendar and guess what... I remember hopping into my truck on one of the coldest days of the winter.
While winter weather seems a long way away, try thinking about your veggie garden this time of year, come winter. It is almost impossible to do. You know why? There is SO much going on.
Yesterday, I brushed by some milkweed that I have growing in my one acre veggie garden and I was overcome by the meadow-sweet fragrance.
At the same time, humidity and heat bring other sensations (not always that pleasant).
Birds fly everywhere and bird song is in the air, to the extent that it is easy to ignore them.
Above all, my veggies are growing to beat the band. Every day there is a new surprise: the Swiss chard is ready for picking, a cucumber is ready for a sandwich and I picked my first red tomato last week.
Fact is, mid summer is hyper-active in the garden (we haven't even talked about pollinating and mating insects).
Indeed, our senses are on overload. No wonder I collapse into bed these evenings exhausted. Mind you, weeding until 9 p.m. probably helps that situation.
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To Do List
When virtually all of the plants in the garden are in hyper-growth mode there is much to do. Keep a keen eye on:
1. Fruit-ready plants. The zucchini that was just a nice leafy plant yesterday will become a zucchini-sausage machine tomorrow.
When they start to produce, they don't stop for anything. Same for many 'fruit' bearing veggies like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc.
As you pick 'fruit' you encourage the plant to bloom and produce more fruit. Leave it on the plant and it will rot (which is not much good really).
2. Control the 'unwanteds'. Early blight on tomatoes is best controlled by letting the plants become nice and dry between water applications AND applying Green Earth Bordo Mixture. This is a copper based powder that is mixed with water and sprayed on. Popular with many 'organic' farmers and gardeners. I also use this on my apples and other fruiting trees every 2 weeks to control many insects and diseases.
3. Weed. A competitor in the form of a weed robs your desirable plants of nutrients, water and sunlight. Stay on this job and if you haven't tried my new Mark's Choice Back Hoe, please give it a go.
It is the most efficient and 'back saving' tool in my garden shed. $29.97 at Home Hardware. Item#5036-415
4. Water. We have been in a drought situation in much of the country this summer. It is important to be water-wise. Use rain barrel water for containers for best results (it is warm and oxygen-rich). Water tomatoes by hand, and be patient. Water deeply, about 4 to 6 litres per plant, not including run off water. Do this only once every 4 or 5 days IF there is plenty of sunshine and no rain. Otherwise, push your finger into the soil up to your second joint and if the soil feels cool, wait until it doesn't before watering again. See the video that I did for CTV News for more information. For details, go to this story that I wrote for my syndicated newspaper column.
5. Cabbage moths are proliferating across the country. The easiest way to deal with them is with an insect tunnel - a Mark's Choice product (#5093-190) that is worth its weight. The white polyester spun material provides a barrier to flying insects, while allowing water and sunshine in to the plants. I use mine early in the spring to 'harden off' green house soft plants and I use it in the fall for frost protection in October and early November
6. Protect and encourage pollinators. There are many native bees, hummingbirds and butterflies in the garden this time of year. Nurture them by giving them some water to drink. A shallow saucer filled with pebbles and water provides access for the short legged insects in your neighbourhood.
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Butterflies
One of my loyal readers sent me this wonder story, complete with photos. She gave me permission to share it with you.....
"Back in the spring I purchased copious amounts of dill, in the hopes that I would attract butterflies to my yard.
A couple of weeks after planting, lo and behold, an Eastern Black Swallowtail laid four eggs on my dill plant.
All but one survived, one of the caterpillars was a meal for a hungry spider. My family has watched these little eggs hatch into teeny tiny caterpillars that looked like poop, to huge fat green yellow & black striped beauties.
Two have left to pupate, with one on the plant still as of today....but I am sure this last one will be gone before the weekend is over.
I cannot tell you how exciting it has been to watch their transformation from little tiny eggs, to these big fat caterpillars in only six weeks.
Nature is a marvel!! I am attaching a picture of 'mummy' and of the caterpillars from a couple of days ago.
Of course we have no idea where they have gone to form their chrysalis, but I sure hope they come back to visit!"
~Heather Rockbrune
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Thank You!
On July 1, the Governor General of Canada announced that I am being honoured as a member of the Order of Canada.
This is, indeed, an honour.
I have been overwhelmed by the many messages that you have sent my way and I thank you so much for every one.
For most of us, we only get a measure of who are friends are at our funeral. Not me, thanks to you.
I will continue to feed you timely, useful information and reflect on my own life and experience with the odd story, here and there.
My highest hope is that you will continue to find this useful and that you will let me know when I can do better.
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TV
If you were a fan of Canada AM, especially Jeff Hutcheson, check out his regular blog
. He is candid, writes well and, as you would expect, can be very funny!
Audio
As usual, you can hear my Green File audio clips on 680 News in Toronto and several other radio stations across our nation.
A different edition every week!
Thanks so much.
Mark Cullen
Merchant of Beauty.
10,000 gardening questions. answered.
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Contest
My gardens are at their peak right now. I enjoy walking the pathways each day listening to the buzz of activity. If you have a pollinator-friendly garden, I would like to see a photo.
Send me a picture of your pollinator-friendly garden and I will enter your name in my contest.
I will post all photos on my facebook page. I will randomly select five winners.
A few samples of my pollinator-friendly garden:
Deadline for entry is July 22, 2016.
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