June Garden Report

The bad stuff
Spider mites and watering
Spider mites have done a lot of damage. Of course it doesn’t help that I’m inconsistent with the watering. So the bean leaves have been turning white and the pansies are all but dead. The insecticidal soap has had mixed results, and I used so much up that I had to mix up my own batch of Ivory soap and dish detergent. Lesson learned, don’t apply when it is still hot out, it burns the leaves. According to the books and several gardening sites it would help if I watered the leaves more. Most of my watering has been going directly to the base of the plant. Apparently, that’s wrong. So I’m going to have to use the hose more often and blast the leaves to hinder the mites because I would really like to keep with the whole organic theme.
I’ve harvested about 2 tomatoes. One had blossom end rot. This I think once again, the watering being a problem. Heat hasn’t help. Also lack of a decent rain.
The good stuff
Squash
Planting various squash plants have produced good results. One has produced nothing but male flowers. But I think this has benefited the zucchini and yellow squash, which have produced several female flowers. I’ve been taking the baby and smallish sized squash off the plant and they keep producing. Some squash I see have suffered from my bad watering practices. Little matter, because I cut off the really bad parts and the rest tastes fine. I’ve only harvested 1-2 patty pan squash, and they haven’t made it to the kitchen. I have a bad habit of eating my garden while gardening.
Tomatoes
As mentioned, only 2 tomatoes so far. I have several green tomatoes, and I can’t wait till they turn yellow or red so I can eat them. Several co-workers in the bowls of the Death Star, where I work, ask about the tomatoes often as I had many to give away last year. Also minimal damage so far from the newspaper delivery man.
One of the neighborhood kids asked if my tomato plant was an apple tree. I guess if you’ve lived in an urban environment and never dealt with gardening I can see how a kid wouldn’t know. Leaves are green and the fruit is red, and “A” is for apple, honest mistake.
Beans
Besides the near death via spider mites, the beans are okay. I’ve collected a bunch of them, but like some squash they don’t make it in the house, again with the eating stuff while I garden.
Cucumbers
They are getting as bad as the peppermint and going all over the place. The vines wandered over to the next pot and started to strangle the plant. So I’m trying something new. I’m going to see if I can get the plant to go up a pole rather than attacking nearby plants. So I’ve taken twine and attached the leggy portions to a bamboo pole. Let’s see what happens.
As far as fruiting goes I have more than 10 baby cukes. They are so cute and green. The flowers aren’t bad either.
Herbs
Herbs such as peppermint and thyme are doing fine despite me. The in the ground peppermint is growing and taking over. I’ve harvested several batches for drying and tea brewing. The creeping thyme continues to creep and is making a sizable blanket under one of the in the ground tomato plants. I haven’t harvested any of it as it is still in flower.
The cilantro has bolted and gone to seed. So I’ve cut them down and will collect the seed and plant again.