Thinning the Mellons

It is time to thin the watermelon, cantaloupe, and summer squash. We double-planted them in case some of them did not come up. Most did, but there were a few spots where one did not come up. The two seeds in each location were planted very close together so it is not possible to pull one plant and not damage the roots of the other.  So, we used the scissors again to thin.  When thinning you want to make sure the plants are developed enough to tell which ones are the healthiest and look the best. Then we just carefully snip off the stem of the other one. Unfortunately, you can't leave both because they will compete for nutrients in the soil and neither plant will do as well.

Watermelon before thinning

Cantaloupe after thinning

Watermelon after thinning

First Carrots 

Also we got some of our first carrots. One of the great things about having a raised bed when you have hard soil is the carrots don't have to fight the soil so they end up straight and long. These carrots are a little small so we will leave the others in the ground a little longer.

Peas

The powdery mildew on the peas is getting worse, but we are still not going to do anything about it. They only have a little while to go and are starting to slow down. In a week or so we will probably pull them out and plant the cucumbers.  

Basil Harvest 

Also we have been picking a small amount of basil. The plants are continuing to grow and we will have larger harvests in the future. What we are getting now is enough to add to a meal.