Cultivating a Bountiful Mid-Summer Garden
Tips and Tricks from a Seasoned Farmer
Beginning this spring Eliza Milio became this page’s junior staff writer. Funded through a fellowship from The Safina Center, Milio worked as an organic farmer in California through some of the toughest conditions the planet could throw at a young grower. She’ll be writing here about the intersection of climate and agriculture on a regular basis. Here is her third post.
In Midsummer it’s easy to forget that successfully growing food is all about thinking ahead. Who isn’t lulled into complacency by the beautiful chaos of the garden in July? Plants are growing almost as fast as the human eye can see. Late sunsets and warm summer air has us outdoor dining, finally eating what we’ve worked so hard to grow. Tables, fridges, and mouths are full of the last of the spring bounty and the first of the summer crops. But there is also a transition in process.
Consistently high temperatures signal to spring crops that their season is coming to a close. Just as the weather provides signals to plants, plants provide signals for us to observe and learn from. You might witness spinach leaves becoming pointy when they were once rounded. Heads of lettuce may protrude upwards (otherwise known as bolting), and leaves may take on a bitter flavor. Pea plants may wilt on the vines…
