July 17 Harvest

The harvest is getting into full swing with the sunflowers completing their blooming in stages.  There seems to be a large variation in the maturation dates for this variety (mammoth russian).  Some were ready two weeks ago and some are just starting to flower.  Keeps things interesting and the early maturation is good; I had been planning to use the stalks as poles for beans, but not all heads are cooperating well.

Harvested sunflower heads hanging to dry.  Slipknots tied around the stalk failed on the string on the right so the whole thing hangs too low.

Sunflowers with heads harvested serving as poles for Good Mother Stallard beans.  Most sunflower leaves trimmed off to provide more light for the beans, but some leaves were left at the top to help keep the stalk alive a little bit longer - don't want it falling over when the beans start to ripen.

This has also been the week to harvest the onions and garlic.  The onions probably were pulled a little too early since the stalks were still green, but I want the space to start planting kale so out they came.  I counted 75 garlic heads and 100 onions from this years plantings.

Onions laid out for drying.  They'll be brought inside to hang this afternoon.

Likewise, the garlic will be hung to dry today.

Trying a new method (for me) of preparing the beds.  A layer of leaves, newspapers and more leaves with slots left open for planting the kale.

A bed prepared crosswise for planting carrots and beets.  I find it easier to weed and cultivate the smaller plants if the beds are crosswise.  Long rows don't allow for easy use of the hoe.

There is definitely a tomato getting ripe, and there are swelling little buds on the cucumbers.  It won't be long now!

Update: The onions and garlic are hanging in the open air shed.  I bundled the garlic by tens and braided the onions.  The bunches shown here are braided in bundles of two dozen.  The rest (hanging on the back porch) are bundled by the dozen.