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Time to Eat!
Greetings!
 It started with the radishes a month ago, progressed to the lettuces, spinach, herbs, and peas, and now it's the zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, cucumbers, and hot peppers. My little vegetable garden has turned into my own personal produce section! We're already through the tart cherries and we've had raspberries for weeks now. Even though I'm convinced that this is what 11-year-old sons are for, we can't pick them fast enough. I admit I'm already tired of the zucchini. But once the tomatoes start, I honestly could eat them happily every single day. I mean, how more perfect does it get than a BLT for lunch, the tomato still warm from the sun? Mmmm. Unless it's a dinner of nothing but sweet corn? Happy Harvesting!  Veronica Lorson Fowler |
The Curse of the Zucchini Plant
Speaking of zucchini, what do to with all that bounty? Some quick ideas:
· Use a vegetable peeler to shave long ribbons of zucchini (and summer squash, if you have it). Toss the ribbons with your favorite vinaigrette and a handful of fresh chopped herbs, such as chives or tarragon, for an excellent salad.
· Cut zucchini into ½ inch pieces and saute along with onion and garlic when making a red sauce for pasta. (Throw in some eggplant, too, if it's on hand.)
· Bake zucchini with tomatoes and top with fish for an easy, healthy, one-dish dinner. Just add a crusty loaf of bread.
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Smarter Harvest
 Don't ruin all your hard work by harvesting too little too late. Click here for general harvest tips, plus some harvest tips for specific plants. Did you know that you should harvest tomatoes before they're completely red on the vine? They stop getting nourishment from the plant well before that, so bring them indoors where the slugs and bugs won't get them and allow them to ripen on your countertop.
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Cool Iowa Desktop Wallpaper!
 Ben Allen, the other half of The Iowa Gardener team, is a talented photographer who took a great shot of some Iowa wildflowers recently on the Neal Smith trail near Ankeny. It's a beautiful photograph of black-eyed Susans and daisy fleabane on a sunny day--it seems to give off its own light! Click here to download it and see instructions on setting it up as your desktop background.
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Weed Watch
 Recognize this weed? It's purslane, and it likes to grow where it's hot and dry, usually along sidewalks and driveways. I liken it to the Greek monster, the Hydra. That's the one where if you cut off one of its multiple heads, several more sprouted in its place.
Purslane must be pulled--and be sure to get as much of the root as possible. Never chop it with your hoe; You're simply propagating it, and many more little purslane plants will sprout up in its place.
If you've got a lot of purslane, the best thing to do is to spray it with Roundup or another "non-selective" weed killer. If you want to be organic, spray vinegar instead, but it's not quite as effective and likely will take 2-3 more applications 2-3 days apart.
With either, spray on a dry, sunny day. Allow the spray to kill the roots, then pull the purslane. It also helps to smother the area with a good inch or 2 of mulch (mulch keeps it cool and damp and remember, it likes hot and dry) to prevent returning plants. (Even with Roundup, this weed is so tough you may want to follow up with a second application a few days later to get anything you missed.)
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Win a Free Gardening in Iowa Book!
 Forward this email to a gardening friend and you'll automatically be entered in a drawing for a free "Gardening in Iowa" book, published by the University of Iowa and written by me. In order to enter the drawing, you must use the following link to forward the newsletter. Click here to forward to a friend. Click here to find out more about the book. (It makes a great gift!) |
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Ask Veronica a Question
If you're a subscriber, email Veronica with your garden questions and she'll do her very best to get back to you within two business days. Click here! |
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Garden To-Do List
 Weed, weed, weed! All this rain followed by warmer weather makes for perfect conditions for weeds to take off with sonic speed. After weeding, mulch to prevent weeds from returning.
You can divide perennials that bloom in the spring now, as needed or desired. Hold off on dividing those that bloom in late summer or fall. For them, it's too close to show time!
Deadhead flowers on annuals, perennials, and some shrubs. It keeps your garden more attractive and in many cases, it will encourage more flowers longer.
Continue to plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees, shrubs, and roses now. However, avoid planting bare-root roses and other bare-root plants. This late in the season, they'll struggle to get established.
Harvest early and often for the most tender, sweetest produce and to keep plants producing well.
Most lettuce by now has started to bolt, that is, send up tall, elongated stalks. At this point, it turns bitter. Pull it up and pitch it on your compost heap.
Remove old raspberry canes after the plants stop producing fruit
Allow cilantro and dill plants to go to seed. It's the best way to grow these herbs (they're problematic to grow from established plants).
Check out the bulb catalogs and on-line sources. Ordering now assures the type and quantity you want this fall, when supplies run low.
Frustrated by moles? Click here to check out ways to control them.
Check out our month-by-month listing of what to plant when in Iowa!
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Garden Events
Check with your county extension office. Many are offering canning classes this month to help you preserve all that produce and all will check dial gauges on pressure cookers.
In Iowa County, there will be two canning workshops on Thursday, July 23 at the extension office. Contact mjtemple@iastate.edu
In Sac City, there will be a canning class Saturday, July 18, in Ruthven at the United Methodist Church from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Contact nanclark@iastate.edu
Central Iowa Water Garden Tour
Saturday, July 18
9 am-4 pm. Beautiful water gardens in Slater, Ames, Boone. Tickets $10. For more info, call 515-278-0939
Iowa Arboretum Ornamental Grass Sale
Saturday, July 25
9 AM. Select from a wide variety of grasses and see them established and growing in the gardens as well!
Click here to include your group's event, no charge!
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Quote:
"If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener."
Legendary
North Carolina horticulture professor,
J. C. Raulston |
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