This and that

The weather remains a little cool, but overall pretty nice this week.  Bright sunshine for longer periods each day makes it easier to accomplish more in the garden.  Weeding, planting, fertilizing, hilling potatoes and occasional harvesting asparagus, spinach and now lettuce is the order of each morning and evening.  If the sunny skies hold out over the weekend, I should get the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant into the open garden.  Up until now, the temperatures would not have been high enough to support any kind of growth for these heat lovers, but we are promised some 80 degree temps next week, so it is time to go.  It looks like commercial harvest of lettuce will commence this week in Quebec.  Romaine looks good and the iceberg will be outstanding if the current weather continues through the month and into July.  Prices are starting optimistically, but we'll see if they can be maintained as more and more shippers jump into the deal.  Trucks are available and ready to work, especially after the last few months of lower than normal business.   Rates remain stable, so the deal should get off to one of its best starts in recent memory.  The hardware crops; potatoes, beets, carrots and onions also look good.