Succession Planting time!

What is succession planting you might ask? Well it is the practice of putting in a new crop as soon as your first spring crop has been harvested. Usually you want to plant some shorter season crops to ensure they will reach maturity before the first frost. Oooorrr you can plant some crops that can with stand some light frost much like the Brussels Sprout and Kale whose flavor is actually enhanced by a light frost or two. A lot of websites and home gardeners will tell you that mid to end of July is a good time to put in crops for a fall harvest. I engaged in my very own succession planting this past weekend. Here is an idea of what Succession planting is and what you can do to achieve it

First, I am feeling a lot better almost two weeks out from my surgery. I go see the surgeon tomorrow so he can tell me where I am at in my recovery and what I can or should be doing. With that being said, I couldn't take it anymore and I went out this past Friday and pulled up a big patch of my carrots and onions. I ate them roasted last night with dinner. Fantastic. My dad was over yesterday to help me with some of the weeding and pulling down of peas and my pea trellis since I still should take it easier for now. But we managed to get the garden all cleared of the weeds that had accumulated and get new seeds planted in the ground. Without further ado, I bring you Gerich Gardens 2013 Version 2.0. Ish.

This is where my carrots, beets and onions were located. It is now home to a Moon and Stars watermelon plant, a row of peas located in back, two rows of bush beans located on the left and two rows of watermelon radish located on the right side of the picture.

An overhead of my Moon and Stars watermelon plant

Moon and Stars blossom. See all of the yellow dots on the leaves? This is by genetic design and where the watermelon gets its name. You see, each watermelon that forms on these plants has a large yellow circle (the moon) surrounded by a bunch of yellow spots (the stars) much like you see on these leaves. Hence, Moon and Stars.

A view of some of my bush beans and swiss chard. The blank area is where my peas were just located. In their place I have planted another round of 2 different kinds of carrots as well as some kale.

Another angle of the last picture, this time with some carrots (which are about ready to be pulled themselves) to the right.

The aforementioned carrots with one of the pole beans that actually didn't get bean rust disease.

Here are my squash plants. Both summer and winter (acorn). They are monsters.

Close up of one of my summer squash.

Softball size acorn squash!

Some bush beans with the squash in the background and tomatoes to the right.

These my friends are Ghost Peppers. Holy hell they even LOOK terrifying. Anyone have any recipes that uses ghost peppers? Pass them along please!

Ye Olde Tomato Corral.

Black Cherry tomatoes not quite ripe

Italian heirlooms still green as well.

Cayenne Pepper plant absolutely loaded with peppers!

Marigolds. My pest deterrent.

My row of basil (Italian and Lime). Yeeeaaahhh... I have a lot of basil...

My garden. Bare as a baby's bottom. But not for long!