“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~Og Mandino
As June ends, the veg garden has pumped out bits and spurts for a harvest. The weather has been in the 70s with loads of rain. And with weather like this, most of the veg garden is happy….most. The peppers really are not liking the cool rainy weather at all. But the forecast is back to the low 80s by the weekend. Which should help the harvest in July.
The last time I updated my veg gardens, I had planted beets, carrots, lettuces, potatoes, and harvested half of the radishes. And I still had many trays of veggie seedlings to get in the ground which I was finally able to do in early June.
You can see the shelves full of seedlings I was planting in early June. Top left is the tomato garden with tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplant seedlings. I planted okra from seed. It is all growing slowly with the cooler weather. In the bottom picture is the portable bed. I had originally planted salad greens here, but it drained and dried too quickly so I had to move my lettuces, and I planted the green chiles here with the watermelon seedlings that I hope will grow up and over the trellis.
The red buckets are filled with celery seedlings growing strong, and the round planter is filled with chervil that is a bit mushy from the rain. The green buckets are the onions I started from onion sets.
The lettuces were moved to 2 window box containers (thanks Beth@PlantPostings for the reminder to do this). I netted the lettuces and the annual flower seed containers to keep out critters. I’ll update the cutting flowers in July.
The potatoes, in the Grow Bags, are growing strong, and with all the water, they grew quickly. You can see the blue potato flowers starting in late June. I expect to harvest some potatoes early as I am seeing foliage yellowing already.
Speaking of early, the garlic bed is already showing signs that it is time to harvest the Tuscan garlic. I pulled one bulb, and it was quite large and ready so I will be harvesting several this week. The rest will wait until later in July. The yellow flower is a pumpkin flower. I have 2 A-frame trellises over the garlic bed so I can train pumpkins to grow up and over the garlic. And the bottom right picture, shows one of the many scapes I pickled. The recipe is in my Monday post.
This is my Roots and Greens bed with beet, carrots, lettuce, Swiss chard and basil. It has grown well especially with all the rain we have had. I also have trellises spanning over the bed so I can grow various squashes (zucchini and winter squashes) over this bed.
I had to prick out beets and carrots in the above bed, as I planted loads of seeds to ensure I had enough germinating. So I had some beets and small carrots and many beet greens, and endive. Beet greens are becoming a new favorite in our salads.
Lastly we pulled the rest of the radishes in the pea bed to make room for bush and pole beans. You can see the peas finally bloomed in June (picture of pea blossom at the top of the post).
I did not plant my beans in rows as I normally would but instead planted them in a square. I got the idea from Linda@Crafty Gardener who was using a new device called, Seeding Square. I contacted the company in Canada to ask if I could trial the Seeding Square, and they readily said, yes. Unfortunately I had already planted most of my seeds before I received it…except the beans. So I decided to plant the beans using the Seeding Square.
Here is a close up look at the Seeding Square. So why use the Seeding Square? As the company says, it:
–Simplifies the planting process with an easy to use plant-by-color approach
-Lays a garden out in a grid formation without sticks and strings
-Make weeds easy to identify as all vegetables grow in a grid formation
-Optimizes amount of space for each vegetable, giving a much higher yield
-Allows anyone to plant the perfect garden without any prior experience
After reading about the Seeding Square, I was intrigued. The Seeding Square comes with a vegetable planting guide, and more online guides to assist with planting. I cleared an area, leveled the soil and pressed the Seeding square firmly into the soil. Then I followed the guide and found beans are planted using the yellow circles.
Using the orange wand, I poked holes into the soil (the correct depth using the guide on the side of the wand), and placed the bean seeds into the holes. Once I pulled up the Seeding Square, I covered up the planting holes…and voilà…done! I have to say this was the easiest seed planting I have done, and I added several squares of bean seeds, and then I planted more radishes as well. I was surprised at how much space I used and how many seeds I planted in this space. 27 bush beans (in 3 squares), 9 pole beans to go up the bean tower, and 32 radishes (in 2 squares using the red holes). In the bottom picture above, you can see the beans just starting about a week later.
And here are the beans a few weeks later. They are now flowering, and I should have beans soon. I will have an update, later this month, on how the beans and radishes are growing in the square planting scheme, and how the harvest is in this square compared to my planting in rows in prior years.
So far I am pleasantly surprised and impressed with the ease of planting, and how well the plants are growing. The one issue with this device for US customers is the cost of shipping. I know the company is trying to find a US distributor to lessen the shipping cost to the US so stayed tuned. You can also order the Seeding Square on Amazon.
Disclosure: I was given a Seeding Square to trial in exchange for my honest assessment of the product. I assured the company that I would give my initial thoughts and then follow-up throughout the season. This is my initial assessment, and I will follow-up each month with a final assessment at the end of the season.
How has your harvest been so far this season? What is your favorite vegetable to grow?
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Next up on the blog:
On Monday, I will be reviewing my June garden. Lots blooming, but little headway with projects due to the weather.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
I got a late start on the garden this year so we are just starting to harvest cucumbers and zucchini. I love the concept behind the seeding square. It would be great to use with my kids in the school garden, especially the younger students who can’t do the math for the square foot gardening. Thanks for sharing!
The Seeding Square is a great tool for school gardens Karin and you should contact the company if you are interested. I know they may have a cheaper solution to the shipping in the next few weeks.
it looks lovely. We have been having much the same weather…and are expecting warmer and dryer temps over the Independence Day weekend. I haven’t done a garden in years so I really enjoyed my time visiting yours
Thanks! I am looking forward to a dry spell…another 3 inches in a day puts us over 20 inches for June and flash flooding again….here’s to some warmer, drier weather!
That seeding square is neat! I confess I always eyeball it. I never use sticks or strings or whatever. I will use a small stick or piece of bamboo to mark a row I’ve planted – makes for easier weeding. Your beans look super! Mine are not happy this year. It has been cooler and I blame it on that. I do have some summer squash almost ready to harvest. I would rather have rain than drought, I must admit. Beautiful garden Donna – look forward to those pumpkins!
My peppers are unhappy with all the cool rainy weather….and you have squash already…wow! I also let a pumpkin rot near a bed and I think a volunteer pumpkin may be growing again! I can’t wait for more harvest Kathy.
Hi Donna – I see you’ve been busy since you retired, even starting a second blog! I didn’t know that beans would be ready for harvesting just a few weeks after planting. I wouldn’t say that beetroot is my favourite, but it’s the only vegetable I attempted to grow last year. I think they were attacked by some kind of underground slug. I’m quite jealous of that one I can see peeping out of the bunch with the carrots.
Oh my goodness you are back my friend…..I couldn’t believe my eyes just now seeing your name. Yes I have been busy indeed. And how have you been…I just popped over to see you have a new post I will be reading next. I have acquired a taste for beet greens and beets cooked and in salads or pickled. I finally had success last year and again this year although I do sometimes have critters attacking mine from above and below.
It all looks very well organized Donna. The thought of new potatoes is good… with the weather you are having it could be a bumper crop!
I am hoping for a bumper crop with many of the veggies given all the rain!
The earliest thing we do is pluck day lilies and herbs to add to salads. Watching the tomatoes and romesco with great anticipation.
I have not tried the daylilies but should rickii….sounds yummy and yes adding herbs to the salad is a great treat too!
oh such a lovely garden – and the pictures are fabulous!!! Makes me want to just walk around and smell the sweet scent of all the plants.
Thanks so much JoAnn…glad you enjoyed the garden!
My garden consists of flowers only. But for fresh veggies, I use the farmer’s market. LOL
You have done so much and your work has really paid off!!! I admire your gardening skills and expertise.
Thanks Anni….I am still learning a lot. I think veg gardening is the only gardening I do some days when time is limited.
That seedling square is ingenious. Great idea for small gardens. We’re having similar weather over here – lots of rain and mostly cool temps. Most ornamentals are happy, and some are lasting much longer than normal (like sweet alyssum) but others miss the heat.
I think it is ingenious too Jason. I have 3 large beds and 3 small ones and hope to use this seeding square in all of them to plant seeds and lay out where I place the seedlings I grow. So far I think it allows for more plants in tighter spaces with good yields, but I’ll know more by summer’s end.
The seeding square is a neat helper. I love beet greens so none would go to waste with me either.
I thought it was pretty neat too Donna….some years when the beets didn’t develop, at least I had the greens….yummy! And so good for you too.
Such a wonderful garden! It is coming along beautifully! Wish I had such success!
It took a while and growing only a few veggies at a time Marie….then adding one or 2 more. Of course the right weather conditions help tremendously too!
Donna I liked how you grow potatoes and decided to try the packs next spring I think it’s very comfortable and not need a bed with soil, and your seeding square is interesting as well!
I agree Nadezda much easier to grow potatoes in bags. Good luck!
Lovely post Donna…..thank you…..Happy Weekend!
I am so glad you enjoyed the post….wishing you a wonderful weekend!
I’m not sure anyone is happy with their weather this June, we are not alone Donna!
You have a very productive garden and I keep vowing one day to give some veg a go in the garden.
Hope you weather improves to encourage those that have been struggling with your wet weather.
It seems the garden is bouncing back even with the cool weather….luckily I use raised beds so the veggie gardens drain quickly. Here’s to a bit warmer, drier July!
The seeding square is intriguing, but how expensive is it? I wonder if the benefits are worth the cost, as it is easy enough to determine how far apart to plant seeds. Your veggies are all looking great. My tomatoes were attacked by some awful blight this year; I think they had it when I purchased them. I have several “volunteer” tomatoes that are doing much better. One is growing out of the side of my compost bin; I have never watered, fertilized or sprayed it, and it is the healthiest tomato plant I have. I am eager to find out what type of tomato it is!
Deb it is around $25 which I found reasonable and I can use it for veggies, herbs and flowers in all my raised and cutting beds. I am already finding it saving me time, back ache and giving me lots of plants in a small space. It actually plants them in a square instead of a line which I must admit I am preferring with less pricking out.
Yes those fungal diseases that tomatoes are prone too are such a pain….I have to be so careful here and so I grow my own starts since I have had blight in tomatoes and basil from starts I purchased. And it is amazing how those volunteers can do so much better! Glad you have the volunteers.
Oh my, this is going to be a wonderful harvest Donna 🙂
I am looking forward to whatever we harvest with much gratitude!
The seedling square looks like an aamzingly useful garden tool!
It is….I am enjoying using it.
Great seeing what’s going on in your garden. Everything looks so healthy.
Thanks Carver…all the rain has helped!
What a bounty in your garden Donna, looks great – I bet it taste great too 🙂
I haven’t much edible this year because of moving house, but I have cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers and it won’t be long before I can eat the first tomatoes. In addition I have some herbs in containers I always have. Next year I will have much more hopefully, when things are more sorted.
Have you used the the seeding square for anything else since writing this?
You amaze me Helene and how lovely to have a bounty yourself even after moving. I have not used the seeding square since as everything was already planted out except the beans and additional radishes. I have a short growing season but hope once I harvest more to try herbs and maybe some fall lettuces in the empty spots. I will definitely be using it next year for my cutting beds, herbs and veg gardens. I have found it faster and easier to use which helps the busy gardener.