Hot Produce for Another Hot Week
If you don’t think it is hot in Oklahoma right now, there’s something wrong with you. Hot and dry is standard fare for this time of year, so we shouldn’t be surprised. We have been moving soaker hoses around the garden this last week, so produce is still making. One exception this year is our cucumbers. Spider mites got a good foothold, making an ugly mess. Trellised between our tomatoes on one side and eggplant and pepper on the other, we thought it best to cut our losses and pull down all of our cucumbers. Some spider mite damage was already showing up on the crops on either side, but it looks manageable with some repeated sprays of horticultural oil. If we get a chance – there’s a bare spot where the garlic came out – we might sow a fall crop of cucumbers.
So here’s the “Hot Produce for Another Hot Week”:We haven’t said much about our peppers. The bell peppers put on a few fruit early on and teased a promising season, but after the initial bells were picked the plants all failed to set any more fruit and the bottom leaves began wilting and falling. The plants in general don’t look to bad, but there is definitely no fruit set. Maybe with a little fertilizer scratched in around the base of each plant and cooler temperatures in a few weeks they will set some new fruit.
As you can see from the pic to the right, hot peppers are going gang busters. The Jalapeño are having a hard time keeping up with demand, but that is just because they are so popular. Here’s a caveat if you would like some of these spicy wonders: Ask for them. We don’t generally pick them until a customer comes out and asks for them. They keep better on the plants, and eventually turn “ripe” colors. Here is a list of the hot peppers we have to offer:
- Anaheim
- Ancho/Pablano
- Jalapeño
- Red Chili
- Serrano
- Tobasco (not shown)
- Cayenne
- Ahn Tran (not shown – A small, hot, oriental variety)
What Else Is in the Garden
Here is the list of what else is available (call before you head out.):
- Okra
- Tomatoes
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
- Did I mention hot peppers?
Come see us. Oh, did I mention, it’s best to call ahead for daily availability. In the mean time, try to stay cool.