Adventures in Food Processing

It looked like a lot of tomatoes...so I tried canning them. I should have taken before and after picture, as the large amount made 3 pints. And I think it actually should have made less. I notice that the bottom inch of each pint jar is all water, which I assume means that I should have crammed in more tomatoes into each jar. Oh well. At least the jars sealed properly and look like they will keep well.

When The Gardener is Away, the Garden Grows

Another trip, and, although I was able to leave a Deputy for a few days, the garden managed without my care for about a week. Surprisingly, the plants don't really need me at this point. They produced cucumbers (which all got too big, very sad), zucchini, and lots and lots of tomatoes. In fact, I seem to have met my tomato goal. I have so many that I didn't really worry about the dozen or so that had started rotting by the time I got back. I just chucked them in the compost. There are plenty more right now.

And while we were away, the raspberries came in with a bang. Here's the result, along with a little watermelon:


That's 11 ounces of raspberries, which is kind of a record. There are plenty more. Did I mention I like raspberries? Plus they are easy to grow, and the birds don't seem interested in them.

The watermelon is small (was small, I should say, as it was enjoyed by me and my deputy). I have another like it and one more larger one. Why do I get so few watermelons?

The sunflowers have also come out, and, in some cases, already gone to seed. I didn't really get the spectacular set of sunflowers I wanted, maybe because of the type. Also, a couple have toppled over. It looks like the birds have discovered them, so I'm not sure whether I will get any seeds. Two years ago the birds didn't touch the sunflowers. What changed?

I've planted beans where I had the garlic, as much for the beneficial impact on the soil as for the beans themselves---although we've been enjoying them. I think I will also try fall peas. Haven't had a lot of luck with fall crops in the past, but maybe this year will be better.

Recovery?

So, the cucumbers I was about to give up for lost seem to be getting ahead of the cucumber wilt. They started putting out new leaves a week or so ago and are now putting out flowers. And, dare I say it, a few small cucumbers are appearing. Maybe we will have another fall crop. I can't say that I have the solution to the cucumber wilt problem yet, but at least there should be a few more this year.

I may be getting somewhere with the zucchini as well. One plant seems to have more or less recovered and I now see a new little zucchini growing on it. Success! I thought the other was a goner, but it never quite completely collapsed. And now, there is a single healthy leaf at the end of the plant. So it, too, looks like it may yet struggle through. Could be zucchini all fall. Although the plants may well take over the garden at the rate they are going.

I planted a few bush beans because I had the seeds (leftovers from last year) and the room (the space where the garlic had grown. And they have grown very nicely. I wanted to plant more, but it is impossible to find seeds mid-season. Grrr. I've ordered some more, but won't be able to plant them for another week or so.

Meanwhile, lots of tomatoes, especially the Roma variety I planted. These seem to take a long time to fully ripen. In fact, they seem to only fully ripen after I pick them (although maybe that's because I've been impatient?) Fewer of the Early Girls right now, although there are enough.

And the raspberries are starting. Which is good because I love raspberries. I don't really mind that they are going to take over parts of the garden that they were supposed to say out of.

Yucky Worms

So last night I went out and followed some Internet instructions about the squash borers. Some people claim you can actually remove them. So I tried it and did, surprisingly, get rid of a white worm about an inch long from the stems of each of the plants. I then buried the stems in soil since, apparently, the squash plants root easily from the stem. I'm watering the soil. One plant actually seems to have partially perked up, so maybe there is something to it. Stay tuned.

Yet More Garden Tsoris?!?!

I went out to the garden today and found the zucchini plants collapsed---both of them exactly the same way, with leaves wilting suddenly. Yesterday they seemed healthy and tough, but now they look like they've had it. I'm afraid this may be the end of the zucchini for this season, and I am a bit sad.

A quick Internet search suggests that the culprit is the squash vine borer. (What did people do before the Internet, anyway.) Bad news---the larvae will stay in the soil, so I've now got two curcubit diseases to deal with. One possibility, I suppose, is to not plant curcubits for a couple of years. Or maybe plant them very late, as the vine borer, like the cucumber beetle, apparently is only active through early July.

I had thought that the rabbits might have gotten to the plants somehow, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of that. (Why would they chew on the base of the stem when they could eat the zucchini, which they don't seem to have done.) There were a couple of tomatoes that looked chewed, however. At this point, it doesn't worry me, I have plenty. But I would prefer to stop it now, before whatever might be getting at the tomatoes decides to have more of them.

On the pleasant side, the first sunflower opened up. Some of the sunflower plants are seven feet tall, and very majestic. It should be a great show when they all open up.