The month of June finally brought consistently warmer temperatures, and the last batch of eggplants and tomatoes were all moved outdoors. If anything, we have hardly had any rain save one thunderstorm mid-month.
And I have learned that soil temperature is critical for eggplants. You may get away with cooler nighttime temperatures for tomato plants, but eggplants do poorly in cold soil. I have “lost” 5 of the plants that were moved outdoors in May. The plants stopped growing and looked poorly. They have been moved back into pots.
Be patient, or start your seeds a few weeks later—as much a note to me as you readers. Eggplants take up a lot of space indoors, and again I was scrambling for space.
June has also been windy. Very windy, as in thunderstorms and lightning. I always stake my tomato plants, but I added extra support by firming up all stakes and cages to be safe.
The Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 project is going well. And I am so impressed with the development of my pepper plant.
As you may know, I grow a lot of peppers. Peppers are simple to freeze whole and use throughout the year to spice up curries and other dishes.
But peppers can be tricky to grow, especially hotter varieties. You need to get soil temperature and moisture right, and then you need a good light source, and so on.
But the Smart Garden 9 has done it all, and I now see flowers and fruits on my plant. Check out my weekly updates on the NordicLavender YourTube channel.
I have continued to direct sow lettuce, arugula, radishes, chives, kale, spinach, tatsoi, and a host of herbs, including basil, thyme, and rosemary.
My overwintering rosemary and thyme plants are starting to look a bit woody. I have decided it is time to grow successors while there is still time.
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Gardening photos June 2023
Gardening photo of the week: 26 June – 2 July 2023




Gardening photo of the week: 19 June – 25 June 2023



Gardening photo of the week: 12 June – 18 June 2023




Gardening photo of the week: 5 – 11 June 2023



