Summer Vegetable Care
Summer care of fresh vegetables is fairly easy. Pick fruit and vegetables when they are young and fully ripe. When possible, pick early in the morning and use or refrigerate quickly after harvest to maintain optimal flavor and nutrition. Here are a few other pointers you may want to help your garden thrive and to assist you as you work through your summer bounty.

1. Control insects and diseases by using Neem oil or Captain Jacks. Both can be used safely on fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
2. Store peppers in the crisper area of the fridge rather than on the shelves. Green peppers will store longer than red ones.
3. Apply fertilizer to your vegetable garden now to keep the harvest coming. Corn and squash are particularly heavy feeders. Be careful though- tomatoes, for instance, will stop producing if they are given too much nitrogen
4. Don't let your plants dry out. Many, like eggplant, tomatoes and peppers will get blossom end rot. Cucumbers may develop a bitter taste. Crops like corn and beans may get stringy and tough.
5. Pull weeds often. Don't let them compete for the precious water and moisture that we have.
6. Consider a fresh layer of mulch to aid in water retention and to help keep the weeds at bay.
7. Harvest regularly- visit the garden at least every other day. Remember those zucchini that seem to grow in feet, not inches, overnight? Start picking cucumbers and sumer squash when they are small to encourage heavier yields down the road.
8. Plant your Fall cool season crops now- broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, peas, etc for Fall harvest. There's still time to harvest a crop and the cooler days are ideal for growing these veggies.