All has been quiet for the last week. The tomatoes are now caged, electric fenced, baited, and scented. Hopefully there are easier things to eat and the squirrels move on. We are continuing to get lots of cherry tomatoes and the San Marzanos are getting close.
This year I have very sparingly used pesticides. Knock on wood, the bugs just haven't been that bad. One nice side effect is lots and lots of bees. I have no idea where they are coming from in the city, but I won't complain. I went out this morning and got run into half a dozen times. These are just regular honey bees that don't pay any attention to me.
They seem to be particularly interested in the cucumbers and mint.
Look at this oddball. All of the cucumber blossoms are yellow, except one.
A couple of the hi-bred cucumbers have already hit the roof line. We have been harvesting for over a week and the first batch of pickles is fermenting on the counter. We go through at least a jar of pickles per week so both of us are constantly checking on their progress. The production tomato bed is pretty bushy and I kind of let the cucumbers grow into it. It's always a surprise when you reach in for a tomato and come out with a cucumber.
The summer garden is in full swing. Here is a quick list of what's growing.
Tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, paste)
Cucumbers (all pickling)
Peppers (jalapeno, poblano, anaheim)
Herbs (mint, basil, rosemary, dill)
Garlic (I planted a few bulbils just to see what happens)
Carrots
Broccoli
Kale
Green Onions
Beets
Lettuce (in the salad boxes)
