May 7, 2012

A head of broccoli six inches across.

We've enjoyed a week of "tomato weather."  All seed planted last week popped up in about three days and is rapidly growing; our summer vegetable garden is taking shape with some harvests in the very near future.  Broccoli heads are now six inches across, protected with nylon hose tied at one end and fitted over like a sock to keep out cabbage moths and their hungry little green worms.  It should double in size this week, and we expect to harvest some by the weekend.

Green beans sprout in rows.

We gathered a last spinach harvest before tilling to make room for pumpkins.  Peas are in flower and will be filling out pods before we can blink an eye.  Some tomatoes, too, are starting to flower.  They are now pushing over two ft. tall; we caged them and staked with conduit pipe; one variety, "Amish Paste" is known to grow more than 10 ft. tall.  We pounded a whole 10-ft conduit pipe in their cages (had to get the ladder out to do this!).

The last spinach harvest.

One half of the sweet corn was planted on Thursday evening.  With temperatures in the mid-to upper 80's F and supplemental sprinkling, it has sprouted on a fast track.  The garden is going to green up as we watch this month.

The garden in May.