July is finally here!

Bugs

Yellow and black squash bugs have appeared. The best solution: Crushing them or spraying with NEEM oil. They will skeletonize a healthy plant in a few short days. You know they are there because the plant - usually squash or cucumbers, looks stressed. A tip - look under the leaves for small clusters of eggs. Scrape them off and drop them into a small bottle of water and dish soap. It's got to be a communal effort to keep them from running the show.

Another friend has arrived: Cabbage worms. If your cabbage or broccoli looks like the photo, you have the worms. They are tough to see. When they are brand new, they are tiny and under the leaf. When they grow up, they are the same color as the plant, and tough to see. Squashing them is tedious and time-consuming but effective.

 I've heard putting fresh basil on the plants chases them off, but I haven't tried it. They can wreck a healthy garden, so eliminate them.

Corn

We've set up the corn plot all the way down the row on the right. It's covered in black weedblock with four rows of holes cut. We have room for a few more rows. If anyone wants a row of corn, holler and we'll set it up for you.

Housekeeping 

Weeds

Someone, perhaps more than someone, is dropping weeds into the corner by the wagon. Please take the weeds to the pile just to the left of the trail out to the parking lot. We're someday going to make a real compost site there, so it's a good place to drop the waste. 

Mowing

I don't know why the meadow is so high. I suspect it's because there is a desire to leave nesting meadow birds, such as bobolink, alone until the babies fledge. I've chopped back some of the stuff around the gate, but not much. Once we have a better answer, I'll pass along reason Flerra has been allowed to go shaggy this summer.

Perennials 

Reminder that perennials [strawberries, some herbs, asparagus, etc.] aren't allowed. If you have them, they may cause us unwanted headaches. 

Recipes, please 

Harvesting has begun. We're getting peas from the home garden, yards of lettuce and now some summer squash from Flerra. This is peas and squash sauteed with cilantro and garlic. If you have a favorite veggie recipe, feel free to share.