Box 1
I planted a 6 pack of broccolini plants that are growing well. However one of them, on the southwest corner, has been plagued with aphids. As a result, the leaves started to curl in where the aphids were congregated. I soaped the leaves which seemed to stall or kill the aphids with a light spraying to remove them. The leaves seem to have rebounded.
The new seedlings are progressing nicely: lettuce, mesclun, beets, raddichio, arugula, radish, chard, and kale. Following the instructions on the seed packets, instead of sowing the raddichio and kale seedlings in a row I sowed them in spaced clumps; should be interesting to see how these turn out.
Box 2
The squashes didn't do all that well and are ready to go kaput now. As I mentioned, my watering technique with the drip irrigation was a learning exercise, as with the tomatoes and beans. Next year I should have a much better handle on growing summer vegetables. Also noted is that the Romano beans hit their peak very quickly. Leaving them on the vine too long results in thick pods with full beans that make them too fibrous to eat. And they pretty much mature out of view. I really need to keep an eye on them as they come out much more quickly than I anticipate.
Box 3
Ah, the tomatoes. The plum and Genovese have done not too badly everything considered. The Dirty Girl, Sun Gold, and the Siberian tomatoes have been big disappointments. The Cherokee Purple yielded a few good fruits but the plant hasn't held up too well.
Box 4
Some of the herbs have been doing surprisingly well: the Mexican oregano, basil, sage, thyme, and marjoram have all been healthy. The oreganos are still struggling, the parsley, cilantro, and dill are so-so but still going.
Box 5
In the photos, the summer sun has dipped back down behind the house in the morning. The lettuces I seeded have all germinated, the previous ones have done very well. The fennel seedlings have germinated, the peppers are doing ok as are the carrots and basil. Water is the key.
Citrus
Using the new water bags have really helped to resuscitate the persimmon and lime trees. The lime has even been producing blooms and now considerable growth. Looking now like the lime will eventually thrive, especially if we get anything close to normal precipitation this winter.
