So many bees loving the scallopini flowers! SVB seen resting on a scallopini!

So many bees loving the scallopini flowers!  That's a fun part with not covering!

Saw a SVB resting on a scallopini leaf!  Not going to bother inspecting for eggs, especially since these are all show, no grow.

GA: Started fall beets, bush beans, radishes, and lettuce

Didn't pre-prepare anything, just plunked them in the ground.

GA: Carrots (Red Cored Chantenay) for fall sown today, using corn starch gel method

I simmered 1 cup water with 2 Tbsps corn starch.  It quickly gelled.  Removed it from heat and let it sit overnight.

Meanwhile, soaked some of the carrot seeds in water overnight.

Then this morning I mixed the pre-soaked seeds into the gel, and sowed it into a few rows at GA, in the front of the plot newly vacated by buckwheat. 

Watered them in, then covered with a double-layer of burlap and watered that.

These seeds are Red Cored Chantenay, bought from the store recently.  Haven't tried these before but thought they might be a good choice as the package says they're good for denser soils.

FOY cucumbers! ** Finally ** (allotment)

The allotment cukes were the first to give a harvest.  2 harvested today.

Sadly, no tomatoes to go with them!!

FOY cherry tomatoes (Jasper) -- but only 2

Sigh, only 2 cherry tomatoes so far -- Scooter had one, I had the other.

I really shaded the yard tomatoes, given all the windy beans and volunteer potatoes.  And the allotment tomatoes, which have plenty of space and sun, are so wimpy -- will be lucky to get 10 tomatoes this year!

Removed tulle from yard scallopinis bec too bushy

Come what may.  Who cares, these are still TONS of males, only a few rare females starting to appear.

Feels like things are slow / late this year, in yard and GA -- even the zinnias are slow to get toing

For example, no sign of any cucumbers having taken yet, whereas last year July 10th was the first cucumber harvest...

Just feels like both in the yard and at GA there's a whole bunch of plants but not much action.

Even the zinnias are slow to get going.  They only started flowering recently, and it feels puny, though the plants themselves look healthy.

Here's what I've harvested so far:

- kale

- chard

- lettuce

- peas

- zucchini harvest started couple of days ago

- stevia

- broccoli (puny harvest so far though)

Maybe I just need to be patient and I can hope it will be a busy August!

Pea harvest almost over -- was pretty puny this year

I must not have planted as many peas as last year -- this year's pea harvest seems to puny.  But, Scooter enjoyed sharing the harvest with me.

Amended yard zukes and tomatoes with mrp, az, and kelp, plus some leaves (and some harvested buckwheat)

Last year I never did a mid-season amendment of the zukes, and they stopped producing early.  So, today I gave each of the yard zukes (/scallopinis) and tomatoes 1 Tbsp kelp, 1 Tbsp mrp, and 1 Tbsp azomite.  Then a handful of leaves from the basement from last year.  And plunked some harvested buckwheat here and there near the zukes (/scallopinis) (unchopped).

GA: Some pole beans look yellow / unhappy

Especially the southern pole of the tripod.  I think I planted the beans before I had the condo compost, so maybe they're lacking stuff.  Anyway, we'll see what happens.

Zucchini FOS; scallopini all males still

Golden Glories are producing!  1st one from the yard today, and more to come from yard and GA.

The scallopinis on the other hand -- although they look fantastic -- vigorous and strong -- they're all males so far.

Potato leaves curling up!?

Uh oh -- some of the leaves in the yard's south potato patch are curling upward and not looking great.  I'm just going to "leave" it be and see what happens.

FOY Japanese beetle (in backyard, though others at GA have seen them there recently so I'm sure I will too)

Broccoli harvest started -- but itty bitty

The broccoli harvest started within the past week or so, but no big or even medium head on any yet, just small shoots.