August garden recap

A zuccini, at last

I remarked to my husband that it always rains on the first of August, and he was adamant it wouldn't this year.  Well, it did, but thankfully it was only a light shower late in the day--the good weather we'd been enjoying in July hadn't broken just yet.  So how did things grow in August?

Roots

The onions from onion sets matured, but were not particularly big.  It might be cheaper to grow from seed next time.  At least they taste nice.

The carrots in tubs were of decent finger size, and very tasty.  I harvested a few more beets (golf ball size at the biggest), and used some celeriac stalks/leaves sparingly (good flavor).

Peas and Beans

The last few peas are finished, and I let them go to seed for next year.  The runner beans started in earnest in mid August, almost a month later than last year.  They are in a slightly less sunny position this year;  I'll bear that in mind for next year.  Lots and lots of runner beans off them now they're going:  I've been salting some for winter.  Climbing beans still very sad from early slug damage.  Only one pod formed.

Brassicas

Kale slowed down in August.  Still growing, but picked less of it.  Transplanted most of the cabbages and broccoli to their final growing positions, but we'll will have to wait a bit longer for them to mature.  Good growth on them.

Brussels sprouts seedlings planted into the holding bed once the cabbages/broccoli were moved out.  They were sowed very late and are still small, but growing.  I don't know if they have enough time to mature, but I'll plant them out once the runner beans are finished in autumn.  There are three plants from last year which are regrowing sprouts now that they've finshed producing seed, so we may get sprouts this winter regardless.

Miscellaneous

No lettuce in August.  Seedlings keep disappearing, whether direct seeded or planted in trays.  I keep retrying, moving the trays to different spots, high up:  they still disappear.  Rotten slugs.

Tomatoes forming all over the place, but none ripened yet.

Potatoes harvested from one plant:  very big, very tasty.  One plant remaining.

Zuccini and cucumber still pretty sad, but both managed to produce fruit:  one zuccini and two cucumbers, both small.  Hopefully they'll give a few more in September.

Two pumpkins and one squash growing well.  I'm hoping for at least one more squash.

Chard is still rampant!  We couldn't keep up with it in August, so I froze some and dried some.  It's nice to have it preserved for winter.

Fruit

The last of the blueberries went to the six year old.  Not many, but enough for one or two a day.  Everbearing strawberries producing a berry every other day or so.

Plums going purple.  Apples and pears looking lovelier every day.

Perennials and herbs

Artichokes, asparagus (both new this year) and rhubarb not looking great.  Sorrel very happy, but only the six year old and the chickens eat it this time of year.

Rosemary, tarragon, thyme and chives thriving.  The tarragon is in a pot but I may divide it and plant it out, as I did with the thyme.  The garlic chives and oregano seem to have disappeared.  Mint is small, but still alive (newly planted this spring, as it all died under mysterious circumstances last year).