SUMMER IN THE GARDEN

JULY Planting: seed bush and pole beans, arugula, lettuce, beets, kale, cabbage, chard, spinach, leeks, and carrots.

CHORES: Mulch, weed, water, and apply fertilizer as needed. Pest patrol is an ongoing summer task. Be on the lookout for aphids, slugs, snails, ants, pillbugs, and assorted garden chewers. Armed with a sturdy spray nozzle, a cup of beer (for the slugs, mind) and some soapy sprays and potions—non-toxic ones please—the garden will survive the occasional muncher.

AUGUST Planting: seed peas, arugula, beets, corn salad, cilantro, turnips and oriental greens, carrots, kohlrabi, pac choi, swiss chard, lettuce, and spinach

CHORES: All of the above, and fingers crossed that even after a rather slow start to the season we will have had enough sun and heat to start harvesting fruit and veggies. If you are leaving some of your plants to go to seed, collect them as they ripen, let them dry for a couple of weeks, and then store in a cool, dry, dark place for use next year.

SEPTEMBER PLANTING: seed corn salad, beet greens, mustard greens, garlic and purple sprouting broccoli (for a spring harvest) and of course arugula… mine grows pretty much year-round here!

CHORES: Thin out the winter root crops (beets, carrots etc.) to give them enough room for that final growth spurt. Mulch, water judiciously, and harvest. Seed saving continues. Remove spent plants. And start looking up those recipes for green tomato chutney and salsas, because you know there will be some that don’t have time to fully ripen.