2025 07 12 - Smog

Sunflowers chewed off a foot up.

I had hoped to go to the Northern WI State Fair this weekend but because of the Canadian fires the air quality is the highest rating there is.

So instead I did my usual of sitting in the garden for an hour at a time and then in the house for an hour. Other than the air quality, it was a nice day. Not too hot, nice breeze, could have sat out there for hours.

Corn is tasseling! And we picked a few summer squash and zucchini.

... and a whole lot of blue berries. Pretty much filled a couple of big serving bowls. They had not been picked since before we left, Tuesday was the last time they were picked.

I spent most of the day weeding my first corn plantings. I wanted the weeds gone so I could see where to re-plant more sunflowers. Something is still chewing off the sunflowers at about a foot high. No deer tracks and there should be something because they would have to land after jumping over a five foot fence.

The brussels sprouts have not been touched anymore and it doesn't look like the beans or peas have either. Just the sunflowers.

Not sure what happened to some of my corn. It looks stunted. But there is good corn right next to it so it should not be the soil, or sun, or water or ...

I had planted the zucchini four feet from the fence to give it room to grow. It is now touching the fence so we have to start a new path.

We did re-route the winter squash, that one sends out vines. They had been climbing on my peppers so I moved them to where the beets and carrots were supposed to be. Most likely there will not be room to plant a fall planting of either.

Of the seven peppers we planted, two are knee high. Those are the first ones I planted with a 3rd that didn't make it. Then I planted four more, one of those is still growing but it is pretty much the same size as when I got it a few weeks ago.

Tomato plant is growing but not fruit yet. We did trim that one a little too today.

My wife did pick one garlic today. Not ready yet but still good.

No rain in the forecast so I will need to water tomorrow. It was supposed to rain last night but the clouds just disappeared before getting here.