This week was a scorcher here in Arkansas. We had multiple days of 95ºF with a heat index of 105ºF. It’s really tough trying to get little seeds to germinate in that kind of weather. I was watering the seedlings twice a day and the surface of the soil was still drying out. Luckily, everything seems to be popping up ok. Even my carrots actually germinated! Yay! I sowed them a little more heavily this time just to be sure.
I’ve already used up my second batch of Homemade Seed Starting Soil! I need to make another. I’m going to start some kale and more collards indoors to protect against the awful cabbage worms.
August is a battle against heat and bugs for those fall crops. But once we roll into late September and October, it’s smooth sailing for those plants. Fall is my favorite time to garden!
In the garden:
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Harvesting- Black Eyed Peas, dried beans, sakatas sweet melons, tomatoes, arugula, lemon squash, calima beans, purple beans, and lots of basil.
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Direct seeded Black radishes, watermelon radish, chinese red meat radish, de cicco broccoli, vates collards, cylindra beets, chioggia beets.
In the Kitchen:
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Dehydrated red and green peppers, a few quart jars worth
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Dehydrated Kelloggs Breakfast tomatoes
Once I get burned out of canning or I just don’t have time, I start to dehydrate everything!
I’ve never been big on flowers until I started my own cutting garden. It’s the best thing ever to have fresh flowers for the house every week!
Chickens:
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We got our first chick egg this week. These were the ones that hatched April 1st.
