These could be the days to kick back in the hammock in the shade and watch your garden grow. The main summer garden is planted, hopefully the drip irrigation system is working well and there is only moderate harvesting to do. However, while you’re dozing in the hammock, the beans extend another 8 inches and need help finding the trellis, the tomato and cuke vines poke sideways out of their cages, and the first zucchini are in danger of becoming baseball bats if you snooze too long. Long days mean fast growth, and the gardener would be wise to make daily inspections to keep abreast of the changes. It’s fun to watch the plants fill in all that empty space that was so hard to leave as the garden becomes lush and robust with summer.

 I find that the “maintenance” activities of this time of year - training, trellising, thinning tree fruit and  supporting loaded branches, weeding, mulching and irrigation monitoring – are meditative times to tune in to the garden and listen to it’s needs and cycles. The summer solstice is just past, so already it’s time to be aware that the days will be getting shorter. Some slow growing crops should be started now so they can grow the rest of the summer and reach maturity by mid fall. These include leeks, parsnips, celeriac (celery root), and rutabagas.  Regular celery is a bit tricky to grow in this area as it prefers a milder summer, but it could be started now too. Celery and celeriac have small seeds that need to be started in containers in a semi-shaded place then transplanted. Leeks can be started in containers or seeded into a “nursery bed” in the garden, and when they get 3-4 inches tall, transplant to their permanent beds. Parsnips and rutabagas must be seeded directly in their beds and the soil kept moist until they have a couple of sets of leaves. These yummy roots can hold well into winter and provide satisfying additions to meals, so are worth the long time in the garden if you have space for them.

 But it is still early summer, so you can make second plantings of cucumbers, summer squash, sweet corn, bush beans, cilantro in the next 2 weeks for harvests into October. These will sprout quickly sown directly in the nice warm soil now.

 While observing your garden, take note of any yellow outside leaves and plants that are not growing as vigorously as they should be. If plants are deficient in nutrients, this is the time it will show, so you may need to do some additional fertilizing. Also, plants that are growing quickly and starting to set fruit have large nutrient needs, so can appreciate an extra dose of food about now. The fastest way to get nutrients to  plants is with liquid fertilizers, which can be both sprayed on plant leaves (where some is absorbed through the leaf pores), and used as a drench for the roots. Organic liquid fertilizers are made from various ingredients, including fish, kelp, minerals, etc., and vary in nitrogen content. It’s best to match the fertilizer to the specific plant needs, but if you’re not sure, a general vegetable organic liquid fertilizer will be available at most garden centers. These liquids always must be diluted before use at least as much as on the package directions. It’s often best to dilute with twice as much water and make several applications a few days or weeks apart than to use too much all at once. Another option is to “side dress” with dry fertilizers by working a measured amount under the plants and working lightly in to the top inch or two of soil. Again, it’s best to use a little less than indicated on the product’s package.

 You might be enjoying your first cucumbers, summer squash and basil now; I was surprised to see that my first Stupice tomato is almost ready too! Remember that once the squash and cucumbers start coming you need to check them every day to pick before they get too big and inhibit further production. With basil, I like to wait until the plants just start to make flowers then harvest by pruning back those stems, cutting down below 2 or 3 branches, to encourage vigorous regrowth.  If you were able to get potatoes in early between rains, the vines could be starting to die back now and you could sneak a few new potatoes while the main crop matures. Gently dig around with a hand trowel or gloved hand around the plants until you feel potatoes large enough to take.

 Enjoy your summer garden, and do take some time to relax in the shade!

Wendy