Get into the garden in this hot, humid weather
The super hot weather has finally sent the last of our lettuce to seed. If you still have gigantic alien lettuce towers in your garden like I do, you should pull them out. Once the weather cools off – late-August, we will be back to replant more leafy greens for a nice fall harvest.
The hot, sunny weather has also exploded the weed population. I suggest you set aside a little extra time for weeding this week. Your vegetables will reward you with much better harvests down the line.
Your soil will dry out much more quickly, so make sure you check on the garden and offer it lots of water – ideally in the morning or evening. Morning waterings are best, and help to keep slug populations under control. Check your garden daily by sticking your finger in the soil. It should be humid just under the surface.
Once your garlic leaves start to yellow and fall over, the bulbs are ready to harvest. You can harvest them all at once, and braid them together for storage, or just harvest as you use them.
You can harvest beets, carrots and onions as soon as they are big enough for your liking. Discover their size by exploring under the soil with your finger before pulling them out.
I’ve seen some japanese beetles around, although it doesn’t seem as bad as last year. If you have an infestation of these shiny green/brown beetles, they can be very difficult to control. If you see any, eliminate right away. Same goes for cucumber beetles in those nice yellow flowers.