Summer Plant Preperation.

I had a week to get ready for the summer planting, but as many know life and plans rarely match up. This years blueberry harvest has taken a little longer than usual as we're breaking in a new harvester, and another farm was down a man - so I jumped on their harvester for a day between my own work.
This time of year is  very busy for me, but apart from landscaping, seasonal farmhand, and my own online business - my primary occupation IS a Father, so my days between are filled with catching up on housework, maintenance, and of course the kids.So no posts all last week and even less in the photo department.  The upside (for me) is I'm getting a killer tan and a great workout just in time for the beach :)

Several plants were cleared out in preparation for the summer. The original beans were harvested one last time as the plants were pulled. The last 2 big kale were trimmed up for tonight's dinner, along with the last of the carrots.  None of them were really large, but I have 2 squares freshly planted to try a different variety.

Tomorrow the corn will be pulled up.  It grew better than my last attempt, but that's no great accomplishment.  Some talk with local farmers gave me some insight on my plants.  Once the top 'tassles' you can forget about new growth - so mine are stuck with not very big ears to show for it.  Although corn *technically* is well spaced at  1 per foot, it is quite nutrient hungry and the suggestion was to put it aside in a place I can really pump more fertilizer to and not have it leech it from surrounding plants.
Next time I'm at 'Papa and Grannies' for grounds keeping I'll ask them. They've forgotten more on the subjects of farming and gardening than most will ever know.  I can't stress what a wealth of knowledge these folks are and how helpful they are on setting me on the right track for a lot of my plant queries.

A couple of other plants will be pulled as well, they've been non-producers and are obviously not suited for their location. A tiny pepper seedling will be relocated, and a cherry tomato vine will be pulled.  This leaves me with quite a few squares to plant up - and I've sorted my seeds out into their planting months.

JULY

•  Carrots: Red Cored Chantenay  (July/August)
•  Lettuce: Bibb/Limestone (July/Sept)
•  Brussels Sprouts: Catskill (July/August)
•  Tomatoes : Queen of Hearts Hybrid (July/August)
•  Sweet Pepper: California Wonder (July/August)
•  Broccoli : De Cicco (July/August)
•  Cabbage: Ferry's Round Dutch (July/August)
• Oregano: origanum vular (common) (July/August)

I'll have a fair few squares to plant out - but I don't want to fill them all up with slow growing plants, as I have an August round of seeds as well:

AUGUST

•  Peas: Oregon Sugar Pod II (snow peas) (August)
• Spinach : Bloomsdale Long-Standing (August/October)
• Lettuce : Salad Bowl (August/November)
• Radish : Cherry Belle (August/November)
• Beets : Tall Top Early Wonder (August/October)
• Beets: Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top (August/October)
• Swiss Chard : Fordhook Giant (August/November)
• Kale : Dwarf Blue Curled Vates (August/October)
• Turnip Greens: Seven Top (August/November)

SEPTEMBER

•  Late summer potato planting.

So for July I need to plant enough so that the garden is productive, yet have enough space for August/November plantings.  I don't have 17 squares to plant one square of everything, nor would I want to do that. I'd like more of some things, and that will have to come at the expense of less of others.

We can work the number down somewhat without much effort.  Lettuce will be germinated in long containers - one container used to sprout 6 of each variety.  there won't be need to transplant to the garden till they are slightly bigger than seedlings (and we can transplant as space becomes available).
 Peas will be replacing corn - so no need to factor that in, and we'll be planting a lot of peas this year.

Broccoli and Sweet Peppers are already planted and doing well.  I'd like to see how this broccoli does before planting any more. I'm currently comparing container vs garden, and in the garden the plant that's doing the best is where spinach failed in Autumn.  Likewise with peppers, I have many plants - some doing better than others. if anything I might be pulling a couple of seedlings to make room. I have 6 productive plants at the moment flowering and looking to produce.

Although I pulled the last of the early planted kale, I still have 3 younger plants - there's no need to plant more.

Tomatoes, I really like the way this variety has turned out. However I have 3 plants in pots, and 3 seedlings currently in various places in the garden. Again, no need to plant more till I work out how these ones do.

Cabbage, I have 4 planted and a second planting only yielded 2 plants, so I need only fill that square in with 2 seeds. No new square needed.

Oregano goes in the herb garden, there is a square available from a failed sage plant.

So for July I need only find room for carrots, brussels sprouts, and possibly tomatoes (if I'm feeling mercurial).
Lettuce can be added to a square, and we can turn that square over with new plants.

For August we'll put in the spinach, radishes, both varieties of beets, peas, Swiss chard and turnip greens. Lettuce will be added from the second variety as space becomes available, and turnip greens 

If our earlier spring tomatoes are over, we can plant the swiss chard in containers (one per container) and harvest it by leaves.

This seems quite do-able. I'll formulate exact numbers and placement when I get into the garden, taking into account the placement of what worked/failed in Autumn last year.

Tomorrow is also the first of the month: Worm Poo day in the BMG calender, so squares will be amended, dug over, and hopefully the first seeds will be ready to go in by the 4th.

One summer project (hopefully, time and pocketmoney permitting) will be adding another bed to the garden - more space, more plants for Autumn.

Cheers and happy Summer!