So, it's still ridiculously hot here. As in, triple digits every day. It's getting old fast. We stay indoors during the middle of the day, and venture out in the evening and morning. The air actually feels just like a dry sauna. If you've ever sat in one of those, you'll understand. While I live in Utah, and we get snow, we are still technically the desert. We get dry heat all summer, and the humidity dips down below 10%. You can feel it when you breathe. You can see it in the different type of green that happens here versus somewhere like the Pacific Northwest. Up there, it's a whole other type of green, that we rarely see here. The lush greenery, coupled with the sensation of cool, refreshing water in the air, it's the stuff of my dreams.
The garden has still been plugging along, and, it seems like the super dry, hot weather is actually helping with my drainage issue in the back raised bed. It's kind of impossible to stay swampy when there's no rain, humidity, or relief from the hot sun.
The beans suddenly sprang to life. They were pale, crispy, and really struggling, but when Mother Nature turned on the heat, suddenly the beans started growing darker leaves, and climbing. We still only have a handful of them trying to climb, but it really does look like they're telling their friends to join in. We may actually get pole beans after all!
The zucchini even started putting out darker growth again. I also planted more seeds in a different spot to see if I could get some fall fruiting.
The honey nut squash, and mini melon seedlings are starting to really take off, and (cross your fingers) they may even start sprawling soon. I put them in crappy old soil in an old pot, and they both took off. I guess they didn't like my new soil.
The tomatoes have been loading up like crazy. The Early Girl tomatoes are proving to be Early, and are loading up heavily. I picked my first few ripe ones right on schedule during the 4th of July holiday week.
The black cherry tomatoes aren't too far behind, and are fruiting as well as growing tall. I've got to stake them ASAP or they're going to topple.
The peppers are doing nothing. I have no idea what's going on. They're basically just standing still. Not a lot of new leaf growth or flowers in this heat, but they're alive and healthy. Hopefully when we get some relief (which the weather says might happen in a week), they'll pop back into growing.
The corn is slooooooowly growing, except for one. It's dark green and at least a foot taller than the others.
My carrot tops continue to grow, so I hope the carrots are forming nicely underground. My kale plants have been eaten by cabbage worms like crazy. I pick tons of them off every week in varying sizes. Some tiny, some already two inches long. They are my least favorite pest. So gross.
My Japanese maple is getting burned badly in this heat. I need to move it, but have no where else to put it. So, all the leaves are getting bleached out and crispy.
My cucumbers are basically doing nothing as well. They have flowered but are still such tiny plants (less than a foot in length). I've bought some new bigger starts to hopefully get a few. I have no idea why none of the cucurbit family has liked the new soil. Everything else seems to be happily plugging along, but my cucumbers, squash, and melons are just dying and stunted in it. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love your input.
All my flowers are coming along nicely, and I'm really quite happy with them.
Last but not least, the vase-rooted tomato! I rooted a growing tip from my black cherry seedling in a vase of water, and then planted it in the hard, rocky and dry soil in the flower bed in front of my house. For several days it looked to be dying, and then after some deep watering, and a dose of fertilizer, it has taken off. Lots of new growth. I'm hopeful it will fruit as well!
Checkout the newest garden update video below to see everything. Also, check out the others on Youtube to see how it's been coming along all season.
Everything seems to be doing fairly well, now, if we could just get some relief from this heat, I think it would really take off! I'd love some 80's instead of 100's!
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