Front row: The last of the lettuce was picked yesterday (and wound up in our salads last night - yum - so tender and light and delicious), and I will probably pull the last of the arugula tonight, leaving just the basil in the two left front bales. As to what's next, I am thinking either bush beans or squash. The Chard, Kale, and Collards are thriving; regular application of Thuricide spray is keeping the cabbage loopers down very well. It is peak harvest time the two bales, and there will be weeks of greens to come from them. The pea bale is doing well enough considering that it is June - I will likely harvest the shoots to use in a stir fry, and decide what to put in the bale - again, probably beans or squash.
Bean row: I finally got good germination on the replanted beans, and some of the plants are blossoming. Some critter - likely slugs - is nipping the growing tips off of some of the emerging seedlings, especially the one on the far left. I should sprinkle some gravel between the plants to impede the slug's pathway.
Carrots: Replanted seeds are coming up, I thinned the emerged seedlings, and I think there will be enough plants in each bale to get a good read on the suitability of bales for carrots.
Leeks: I replanted some leek seeds, and will fill in the holes where plants died when they are ready. Jury is still out, clearly.
Beets: Though they are lagging behind the beets I planted in a half whiskey barrel, the right hand bale, especially, has some beets that are ready to pick. This is working well, but need regular watering, since the shallow rooted beets really take a beating (no pun intended) in the heat of the day.
Potatoes: They are coming along, and there is at least one plant growing in each bale - I have other sprouted spuds waiting to fill in the blanks.
Radishes: they actually look good, but I think we may be eating them as greens more than for the radishes themselves - just too late a start.
Squash and cukes: I finally have all of the blanks filled in with healthy plants - the cukes are now coming along after a few replant efforts - some of the squash is in vigorous bloom. It won't be long!
Pictures below:
Top - overall view from front, spent lettuce bales with basil, chard and kale/collards
Second - Peas, left beans, right beans
Third - left beets, carrots, leeks, right beets
Fourth - beet Chioggia ready for picking, left potatoes, radishes
Fifth - Squash, right potatoes, squash and cukes
Last - Rear squash, driveway garden front, driveway garden rear
tomorrow will focus on the Straw Bale dwarf tomatoes.