Weekly Gardening Outlook

This will be a continuing series. Each Monday we will look ahead at the coming week in gardening for the Northwest Arkansas area.

It has been so hot and dry that even the sun loving cucumbers are moving into the shade!  Amazingly, they were able to span the two foot gap between the top of our eight foot tall trellis and the branch of a neighboring silver maple.  We will leave them alone for now as they aren't hurting anything.

Spaghetti Squash / Squash Vine Borer Update:

The vines grew about a foot in the last week.  They are thriving in this hot weather.  The package says they take 100 days from seed to harvest.  We are giving them about 107 days unless we have an early frost.  Actual days to maturity is variable depending on growing conditions (temperature, sun exposure, moisture, etc.).  We feel good about getting a harvest from these late planted vines.  We'll continue to keep you updated.

Things to be on the lookout for:

Leafhoppers come in a variety of colors and are usually very brightly colored as seen here on a sweet potato vine.  Adults are about 3/8" long and jump away with a strong, quick motion when disturbed.  They suck juice from leaves and can cause leaf spots and wilting.  Of more concern is their ability to transmit viral diseases.  We've always had a few around the garden without a problem, but they can build up to point where they need to be treated for.  If they do, handpicking or vacuuming is difficult due to their quickness.  Use insecticidal soap or diatomaceous earth, but as always treat late in the day and do not get it on flowers to avoid killing bees. 

Weather outlook:
-Low 90s all week, with a very slight chance of rain
-Ten day forecast

What's being harvested:
-Peppers

-Watermelons

-Chard 

-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Celeriac leaves, basil, mint, and other herbs