dark furrow
a quiet almanac of soil and sky
afternoon, the tenth of july
midsummer
the full weight of summer.
everything is ripe or ripening or done.
thunder in the westthe corn stands perfectly stillwaiting for the rain
sky
oppressive. thunderheads pile up. the storms when they come are violent and brief.
- waning crescent, 19% lit
- sunrise 6:07 am · sunset 8:33 pm
- 14h 26m of daylight (-0.9 minutes from yesterday)
- civil dusk 9:02 pm · sailor's dark 9:39 pm · true dark 10:19 pm
the moon is in its last quarter. pull weeds, turn compost, cultivate the soil. this is a killing time, good for destroying what you do not want. the weeds will not come back as fast.
the milky way was called the "backbone of night" by some old cultures. in midsummer it arches overhead like a bridge from horizon to horizon. go somewhere dark and look up.
the dog days storm. it comes when the air is so heavy you can feel it pressing down. the buildup takes all day and the relief when it breaks is physical. the old farmers said you could smell it coming.
garden
in the ground now
- save seeds from what did well, close the circle
- let some herbs bolt and flower for the bees
- the garden is giving now, keep up with it or it spoils
- second planting of beans if you have the space
this week
- water in the morning, before the sun is high. evening watering invites fungus.
- order garlic for fall planting now. the good varieties sell out early.
good neighbors
- nasturtium tumbling between the squash hills, the bugs go to it and not the fruit
- marigolds sown thick where the brassicas will follow, they leave the ground cleaner than they found it
- a row of buckwheat where a bed has emptied, it brings the bees and feeds the soil for fall
bad neighbors
- fennel anywhere near the new bean rows, the seedlings will sulk all the way to fall
- do not return tomatoes to last year's tomato ground, the soil is asking for three years of rest
- garlic dropped in among the new peas, the peas will be small and bitter for it
kitchen
in season
- it is too hot to cook, so don't
- eat outside if there is a breeze
- can or freeze what you cannot eat, winter will want it
- watermelon with salt, the oldest summer trick
tonight
- cold soups, gazpacho, things from the fridge
putting up
- peaches in july. can in light syrup, peel and freeze, brandy a few jars for winter.
- green beans the same way. low-acid foods need a pressure canner. otherwise pickle them as dilly beans.
foraging
- passionflower vine, blooming wild. the flower makes a calming tea.
- wild plums, small and tart, good for jam and nothing else.
- chanterelle mushrooms after summer rains, golden in the hardwood leaf litter.
- jewelweed, the orange-flowered plant near creeks. crush the stem for poison ivy relief.
midsummer foraging is abundance and sweat. bring a bucket and water. the blackberries alone will keep you busy for weeks.
folklore
the buck moon, the thunder moon. the dog days begin when sirius rises with the sun. the old farmers blamed the star for the heat. it is not the star. but the name stuck.
jewelweed stem, crushed fresh, for poison ivy. it often grows right next to it. midsummer medicine is first aid. the garden and the woods are handing out scratches, bites, heat, and rashes. have your remedies ready.
stink bugs arriving. they want your tomatoes. they will get some.