It is almost 11 p.m. so this will be quick.
Weather forecast is for a low of 48 tomorrow night – early August. I love that weather, but the warm crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, etc sure do not.
Late blight update – it seems to be progressing very slowly in the potatoes. We have mowed down three more rows of potatoes. We are leaving the potatoes in the soil to harden the skins some. These rows were just starting to go so I expect the tubers will be fine. I did pull most of your cherry tomato plants this week. You are welcome to go pick up some sprays of green fruit to try to ripen inside. I walked by the remaining plants this evening and it looks like one of them is quickly going down, so I think you can right cherry tomatoes off for this year. Too bad – there was a plant for each of you, just starting to ripen. I ate a dozen or so as I was pulling them. I have spent two days, and have another day’s work ahead of me in the hoophouse to protect those tomatoes from late blight. I have stripped leaves off the lower four feet or so of the vines yesterday and this morning and thinned leaves to improve drying and air circulation, and the ability to get the organic copper hydroxide fungicide on all the leaves and stem. The next step is to lower the vines so that the newer leaves get good airflow and are reachable to spray. The fungicide has a 48 hour interval before harvest, but I harvested all tomatoes this morning that look like they’ll harvest in a week to give a little longer time. Hopefully I will get the fungicide, along with some fish emulsion for fertilizer, sprayed on them early tomorrow morning. Ideally I would have lowered the vines before spraying, but looking at my time allocation will fertilize and fungicide ASAP and wait because it will take a day to untie, lower and and organize the vines, and retie. I had hoped to do it this evening but was digging carrots and onions, and then harvesting squash while the plants were dry. I will get wet harvesting broccoli in the cool of the morning, but that is OK. That is a different wet than wet sticky squash vines and squash. I really prefer to harvest squash in the afternoon when it is dry.
The field tomatoes are mostly holding up with little late blight, but only the Rose (beautiful huge pink fruits that the mice really had enjoyed), Polbig, and Juliet have ripe fruit.
I did dig carrots today. I appreciate your rave reviews of our early spring carrots. Let me remind you those were a combination of a particular variety that does well in the cold, and the actual cool time they were maturing. These are summer carrots – nice and crunchy by not a late fall or early spring carrot. I also found that the Walla Walla sweet onions had done quite nicely lost in the weeds. I think they sized up because we had ample moisture. The tops aren’t pretty because of the shading from the weeds, but they are really good. I think those are the two new items this week. You will get another batch of the red and purple potatoes – we have not dug any others yet.
Two of you have requested squash blossoms. I have some in the fridge. If more of you want them, please let me know and we will pick them for you.
A new planting of broccoli is heading up so you will have nice heads this week. We mowed down the older planting that was giving the side shoots so we can improve weed control and replant for fall. I have lots of kale seedlings just germinating in the hoophouse, plus lettuces. With all the rain I did not put drip tape (irrigation) down with the salad mix sowing a couple of weeks ago, and the lack of irrigation is slowing it down. Another lesson this year.
Thank you to Peter Stone who has volunteered the last two Fridays to come out and help. He has washed potatoes for you and did a great job washing and cleaning the old leaves off the beets for you.
I have lots of carrots to clean for you, and a new bunch of beets that look really nice, so had better get some shut eye.
