🍑 July '24: Ice Cream, Peaches, and Watermelons
'tis the Season!
July is a month of transition. From now on, our daylight hours begin to wane and we begin our journey towards winter. For the south, it is also a season of transition in the garden. Soon, we will be starting seeds indoors for our fall garden. However, we aren’t done harvesting from our summer garden, not even close. But don’t be fooled, harvests will cease and sometimes too early. That’s why in July, we will plant a second round of warm season seeds directly into the garden so we can avoid that late summer harvest let down.
Also, I’ve been really into wildflowers lately. Since it’s July and the 4th is a couple days away, I figured some pictures of wildflowers that look like fireworks would be appropriate. These are all currently blooming in the fields at the Graham Farm and Nature Center!
In The Garden
✅ Direct seed Pumpkins for an October harvest! Make sure they have plenty of room to run and spread out!
✅Mulch is truly a gardener's ally, making life so much easier. During the summer months, when days are longer and temperatures soar, we often face dry spells that can quickly deplete moisture from the soil. That's where mulch comes in. Its presence helps to retain moisture by providing shade and allowing water to penetrate deeply when it does rain, preventing runoff. This month, take a moment to check around your trees, shrubs, and garden to ensure they are well-mulched. If you find any areas lacking mulch, simply add a fresh layer. This way, you'll help keep your plants happy and thriving during the hot summer days.
✅During the summer months, gardeners often encounter the frustrating issue of blossom-end rot. Many online sources attribute this problem to a calcium deficiency, which is indeed true. However, what they often overlook is the role of irregular watering in inhibiting the plant's ability to effectively utilize the available calcium. To address this issue, heavy mulching proves beneficial, as it helps alleviate the problem. Additionally, watering deeply on a regular basis, preferably on a weekly schedule, will contribute to resolving this issue.
✅One of, if not my very favorite fruit, is the raspberry. It produces twice a year, once in the spring and then a second crop in the fall, and is easy to grow. In the summer is when you will want to cut out any old flowering canes. These canes are the ones that bore fruit in spring and will be dying off. Leave 3-4 canes per foot. Wait until the spring to prune back the tips of shoots.
✅Just as mentioned in June's guide, continue to remove suckers from your tomato plants. This practice will redirect the plant's energy towards developing robust and productive stems and branches that bear fruit. At this stage, your tomatoes are setting fruit, and by removing suckers, the plant can channel its energy into the fruit, resulting in large, juicy tomatoes. Additionally, as your tomatoes continue to grow, it is advisable to trim off the lower leaves that droop and touch the ground to promote better airflow and prevent diseases and pest damage.👇
Timely Tips
🙅♂️Avoiding pruning perennials (plants that return year after year) during the summer is a good idea for a few reasons. First, during this season, plants are busy growing and putting all their energy into making leaves, flowers, and fruits. If we prune them, it can interrupt their growth process and take away the resources they need to thrive. Second, pruning in the summer can make plants more vulnerable to stress, diseases, and bugs. When we cut branches or stems, we create open wounds that can get infected or attract pests that are more active in warm weather. Third, pruning can expose delicate plant tissues to too much sunlight, which can cause sunburn and harm the plant. Lastly, many plants bloom in the spring or early summer, and if we prune them during this time, we might accidentally remove the flower buds or disrupt their natural blooming cycle. It's generally better to prune trees and shrubs when they're dormant or in early spring before new growth starts. This way, the plants have time to recover and grow without any unnecessary stress.
🌱 Get your seed equipment ready! Next month we turn our attention to the fall garden and will start seeding our brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale) indoors!
🍫 Fertilize flowers and gardens in July and once more before the end of season
🧟 Remove any diseased fruit in the garden. Stay vigilant here. Make note of any areas of the garden where diseases pop up. Particularly fungal diseases like powdery mildew, downy mildew, and Choanephora Rot. You might have no idea what these diseases are or even look like. That’s OK! What you need to look for when trying to figure out if your plant has a fungal disease are little fuzzy hairs. If you see a white spot on a leaf or a black spot on a fruit, examine it to see if it’s fuzzy. If it is, then its a fungal issue. The problem with fungal diseases in a garden is they can become persistent and get worse every year if you aren’t proactive in doing a few things.
Look for diseased plants and fruit and remove them promptly. Be careful to avoid disturbing the fungal areas as much as possible so that the spores aren’t spread every where. Discard this infected plant material in the trash. Don’t add to any compost or feed to animals.
Rotate your crops each year by planting them in different spots of the garden. This helps to break disease cycles. Particularly fungal diseases because when the spores emerge from the ground, they won’t find a host and will not be able to reproduce.
As mentioned in June’s guide, avoid walking in the garden when its wet. This helps avoid spreading any diseases among the plants.
Keep the garden mulched and well weeded. This promotes healthy plants, supports proper air circulation, and keeps disease prone weeds out.
✏️ Slow Living
July is a relatively relaxed time in the garden. With summer in full swing, our gardens are in peak production of heat-loving vegetables. It's a perfect opportunity to pause and reflect on the progress we've made and the accomplishments we've achieved so far this year. Take a moment to assess your garden and acknowledge any areas that may need attention and improvement. Perhaps some parts have been neglected and are now in disarray, or maybe you wish you would have started your seeds earlier or planted more of one specific crop. Take time to reflect, make a few notes, and then shift your focus to the present. We've surpassed the halfway mark of the year, and as we approach the fall and winter, life tends to become even busier. Embrace this month as an opportunity to appreciate the results of your hard work and savor the fruits of your labor.
🍨 Eating in Season
Peaches are coming in full swing in July and you know what peaches are good in? Ice Cream! Morgan has been all about making ice cream lately and I fully support her. Here is the current recipe that she has been using this summer:
1 cup cream
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
teaspoon of vanilla
4 egg yolks
🌕 Lunar Calendar
Early Native American tribes named July’s full moon the Buck Moon, as it coincided with the time when male deer started growing their new antlers. Additionally, it has earned the name Thunder Moon due to the prevalence of thunderstorms during the early summer season. The combination of humidity and rising hot air creates the perfect conditions for these storms to form, bringing the rumble of thunder and electrifying displays of lightning.
This July look for the full “Buck Moon” or “Thunder Moon” in the sky on July 20th with it reaching its fullness on the morning of July 21!
📆 Calendar of Firsts
A calendar of firsts serves as a meaningful tool to celebrate and connect with the ever-changing rhythms of nature throughout the year. Its purpose is to document and acknowledge the first occurrences of various events and natural phenomena that mark the transition of seasons. By recording the first blooming flowers, migrating birds, or changing foliage, individuals deepen their awareness of the subtle shifts that unfold in the natural world. This heightened observation cultivates a sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our environment. Moreover, a calendar of firsts invites us to engage in a deeper relationship with the natural world, fostering a sense of connection, mindfulness, and gratitude. It allows us to truly immerse ourselves in the present moment and develop a greater understanding of the intricate cycles that shape our lives and the world around us.
July firsts to be looking for:
Remember these are general examples for zone 7 in the southeast US. Specific occurances will depend on your regional climate and conditions. Keeping a personal calendar or journal will allow you to capture the unique experiences and observations of each month in your region.
The first powerful summer thunderstorm
The first bite into fresh sweet corn
First bite into a local, juicy watermelon. The quintessential summer treat.
First bite into a fresh peach
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Is the ice cream made in a 'churning' ice cream maker or does she just put in a loaf pan and put in the freezer? I have seen several 'no churn' recipes lately.