July 2021 – Chalet Lang

Tomatoes! Not a million, but some! Zucchini, Roma and wax beans, 2nd rhubarb flush (I’ll be making rhubarb orange zucchini bread later). The water has been at 1 hour but things look a little dry so I turned up to 1:30.

Bad onions

This year’s onion yield was just disappointing. I think the hot cold hot cold HOOOOOTTTT just really screwed then up. A bunch got “damage” that introduced some sort of rot.

Lots bolted- but that tasted delicious, so that part I liked.

I’m cutting everything up- no storage onions this year.

Next year- more water, order more onions, hope for the best.

Garlic harvest and veggies

Pulled the garlic and onions, and got some squash the first 2 runner beans and one delicious

Sungold tomato

The music and nootka rose (from the grange) garlic was the winner this year. The susanville was a total dud.

I also moved two volunteer tomatillos onto west c with the plum tomato.

Okra!

Look! Look!

And there are more coming!

Also, upper A has some slightly pink tomatoes!

A little bit

We did a little work today. I fertilized the squash, picked raspberries and some of the onions. There are a couple of okra going, and one lone plum!

Artichoke Harvest Dinner

Other updates

Gotta screw up at least once

Well- I finally made the call on the fava beans and cut them all down (mostly- there are a couple of new shoots I left.)

I think the majority of the damage came from aphids (black flies). There was damage to leaves and the stalks, and some pods burst open and some didn’t mature correctly (probably bacteria brought in and nurtured by the flies. I found a couple of good articles about controlling them – links are deactivated

riversidegardencentre. blog/broad-beans-and-the-dreaded-blackfly

growing-guides. .uk/blackfly-on-broad-beans/

Basic recommendations are-

pinch off top of plant where they like to be.
Plant companion plants that bring in predators – oregano, dill, allysium
Plant things black flies like better- nasturtium
Soapy or essential oil treatment
Manual squishing!

Anywho- I’m going to see what I can salvage in the way of beans. I would still plant these even if I can’t get beans from them, because of the handy hearty early greens and the bonus nitrogen fixing.

Here are some fava beans horror shots.