August Totals & Notes for Next Summer

I am doing a terrible job with blogging this summer, for which I do apologize.  We have hopefully finished remodeling work for a while, and we have just one more family visit coming up, and perhaps I will be better for the winter garden plans.

Here is one photo, taken in July. The squash plants grew so much bigger here than they did in Colorado!  Pole beans and peas were much taller too.  The winter squash didn't do as well, but that may be a location problem (that bed may be somewhat shaded).

In the meantime, I wanted to make note of some (rounded) totals, and things I want to remember for next year, so these are notes for myself, but you're more than welcome to read them.  :-)

June 2013:

• Lettuce     approx .75#

July 2013:  

• Lettuce/Greens:     2#
• Snap peas:         2.75#
• Alaska peas:          1#
• Potatoes (new)   .75#
• Broccoli:             .25#
• Elephant Garlic:   .75#
• Softneck Garlic:   .75#
• Pattypan Squash:  2.75#
• Zucchini:                4#
• Crookneck squash:  .5#
• Cucumbers:           2#
• Yellow Beans:     1.75#
• Green Beans:      1.75#
• Rattlesnake Beans:  1#
• Egyptian Walking Onion:  .25#

August 2013:

• Cucumbers:   13#
• Pole Beans, Green:  2#
• Rattlesnake Beans:   8#
• Bush Green:  1.75#
• Bush Yellow:  3#
• Pattypan Squash:  16.25#
• Zucchini:         37.5#
• Crookneck Squash:  5.5#
• Carrots:  6.25#
• Broccoli:  .5#
• Cauliflower: .25#
• Kale:  1/4#
• Potatoes:  14.25#
• Tomatoes:  1.25#
• Pinto Beans 1/8#
• Corn: 2 ears

Notes for next year:

Plant more pole beans -more Rattlesnake beans.  This year I had about 18sf of green bush beans and about the same in yellow bush beans.  I had 3 towers of pole beans- 2 Rattlesnake, the other a mix of Blue Lake (I think) and Zi- probably 15 sf of bed space.  The bush beans are not nearly as productive, and the flavor of the yellows was lacking.  The Rattlesnake beans produced heavily for a time then stopped quickly.  Next year, stagger plantings to extend harvest.  Pole bean supports need to be very tall and very strong.

Plant more snap peas, and stagger planting.  Trellis needs to be at least 6' tall and sturdy. 

Reduce summer squash, or at least stagger plantings as powdery mildew is killing them quickly, and all at once.

Plan a better potato space, and hill with soil, not mulch.  The pockets of potatoes seemed to be where there was soil (I planted a quick bed- a little compost & soil on the grass, mulched with straw as I overbought seed potato and didn't leave enough space to plant them in the beds).  Slugs seem to love straw.

Plant more garlic, and more onions (not just walla walla- storage onions too).

West end beds get a little less sunshine.  Not enough for winter squash or melons.
Peppers and some other heat lovers may benefit from row covers next year to boost heat.
Carrots around bed edges worked well but make sure bed is dug deep enough for them to grow.