At the beginning of August, my broccoli and cauliflower sprouts were getting big enough that I thought they needed an “upgrade” from their yogurt cups to some larger containers.
I decided to try out making newspaper pots (as found in Plant Grow Harvest Repeat by Meg Cowden <–aff link). I got some full sheets of newspaper from a neighbor and folded up six to try. It was fun to fold them, and I think they are a nice size. I might try them again in the future as I start seeds!
After transplanting they went back under the grow lights for a few more weeks.
At the end of the month, I started “hardening off” these seedlings to prep them for planting out in the garden… but instead of getting them ready for cooler temperatures, I wanted to prevent them from being shocked by the hot weather and sun! I started them under our deck umbrella the first day, and then I gradually increased their time in the sun.
Meanwhile, the outdoor garden continued to flourish.
The asters bloomed! It was so interesting to watch them progress to full bloom. The petals start almost white and clenched like a fist, and then gradually the unfurled petals reveal the color of the flower.
Somewhere or other, I read or heard that asters should be pruned back at some point before they bud to encourage fuller growth and more blooms. However, I heard this information far too late for this season! I am hoping to plant them again for next year, so I’ll need to remember to read more about that for the future!
The marigolds continued to bloom and the plants grew into huge bushes!
I need to remember to plant them into bigger containers next year. They were definitely too crowded in the low, long planters I used, and they ended up being top-heavy (more on that in September’s post). I really should plant just one per container. It would make them easier to move around the plot, as well.
I let my oregano and mint go to flower, since I wasn’t really using them as much in my cooking.
I don’t have photos of the parsley and basil, but you can be sure I was using them! Parsley is probably my favorite herb, and I probably used it at least once per day! I love being able to step outside and clip some stalks to cut into my meals.
In preparation for cooler weather (whenever it comes! August was HOT HOT HOT!), I planted some peas on August 6 that I’d saved from my Mammoth Melting Sugar Pea plants in the spring.
Since the container in the spring seemed small for one plant, I chose a longer planter for fall. I was excited to use some of my first batch of compost from my tumbler! I think it was ready, so I took it out and used it under the layer of soil from the smaller pea container.
By August 11 (five days later), all three peas had sprouted! I am delighted that my seed-saving was successful! The peas grew fast. I’ve positioned them at the shadiest end of the garden so that they can have as much relief from the heat as possible.
We watched eagerly throughout the month to see the watermelon grow…
…but it didn’t grow quite as much as I hoped/expected! I was hoping that it would be ready before school started, but I don’t think it’s ready yet… Check back in September!
I was delighted that fertilizing + some vigorous pruning (learned from The Rusted Garden on Instagram) seemed to encourage the Beit Alpha cucumber vine to start producing again. I also learned about the possibility of succession-planting cucumbers, so I want to give that a try next year.
I was also excited to see peppers forming on the plants I grew from seeds saved from Costco peppers! They were a complete experiment, and so I’m looking forward to seeing what the fruit is like (the original peppers were probably hybrids, so I definitely have no idea what to expect!).
My Most Beautiful sweet peppers continued to grow– I was impressed with the amount of fruit on the plants! I harvested a few while they were still green because I needed them for some recipes, but for the most part, I am waiting for them to turn red (I assume!) to harvest. The fruit is thin-walled and tastes good! They are much bigger and irregularly shaped than I was expecting!
We went on vacation in August, and I experimented with an idea I heard on a Joe Gardener podcast– I punched a few tiny holes (with a thumbtack) in the bottom of a milk jug so that it would slowly drain into the pot– leaving the cap on as suggested so that the water wouldn’t drip too quickly. I forgot to take an “after” photo– but it didn’t work that well! I should have left a little more ventilation at the top. Water did drip out, but eventually, such a vacuum was created inside the jug that it just crumpled on itself! There was still an inch or two of water at the bottom, even after a week!
milk jug drip irrigation experiment
The harvests were the biggest of the season this month– both in overall volume, but also because I set some personal records!
First: I think this is the largest tomato I have ever grown in one of my gardens:
And I had a huge harvest of Sungold tomatoes:
And an enormous harvest of purple cherry tomatoes! I’m surprised at how late this bumper crop came, but I am definitely not complaining!
In addition to the “records,” I just love seeing the variety of colors and textures!
We enjoyed the bounty, too! My daughter was on a mission to cook and bake as many recipes as she could from her personal cookbook library, and as often as possible, we used garden produce.
I was so excited to finally get to make fresh salsa with tomatoes and a jalapeño from my own garden!
And of course, we indulged in caprese as often as possible. The perfect summer lunch accompaniment.
I discovered this big toad in my garden one morning while I was weeding! I thought he was a rock, and then he moved– it was quite startling, I think both for me and him! I was glad to see him there the next day, too, so he must not have been too frightened.
Three weeks later, I found him dug into my primrose pot!
I made a better effort to get some photos of myself in the garden this month (my daughter helped me!) and this is one of my favorites:
Last but not least, how about some comparison views of the whole garden throughout the month:
The garden flourished this month, and I was out almost every day working to keep it pruned, tidy, and healthy.
Stay tuned for the September update!
Vegetablog 