August 31, 2012

The beans have been looking really ratty, so I decided it was time to pull the plants.  We've been getting fewer and fewer beans, and many of those were not well formed.  Note to self:  Next year, if I plant pole beans, I should start some bush beans around July 1.  Better yet, just plant only bush beans, planting a crop every 6 weeks or so.  Other note to self:  Don't forget the inoculant.  There were almost no nodules on the roots. 

August 30, 2012

Yeah!  I finally managed to put up a cover over the brassicas, or at least one of the beds.  It isn't very elegant, but it works.  Here it is.

I think next year I'll just do simple PVC hoops. 

I picked most of the black beans.  I got less than a pound.  Hardly worth the effort.  I don't think I'll do dry beans next year.  The Yin and Yangs are not dry yet.

August 28, 2012

I picked the first Green Zebra tomato today.  We had it in a Greek salad, along with an Orange King and a Stupice. 

My attempt to make PVC hoops for the broccoli bed failed.  We connected them with a ridge pole, but when we tried to put it up, they broke.  So I'm still trying to figure out a way to cover the two beds.  They need protection from the hot sun, but also protection from insects. 

August 26, 2012

I planted half a row of tatsoi where I pulled out the chard.  It may be too early, but we'll see.  I plan to do several succession plantings to see which one does the best.

I moved six small chard plants in the bed with the peppers. They were in the flower bed, which will need to be vacated soon so the new raised beds can be build.

The broccoli plants are bumping their heads on the shade cloth covers, so I think it's time to build some PVC hoops.  I sowed spinach (Olympia) among the cabbage plants. 

August 25, 2012

I decided it was finally time to pull out the rainbow chard.  We had lots of meals out of it, although we probably could have managed with half a row.  But the leaf miners had finally won, and there was very little left that wasn't damaged.  So out they came.  I think I'll try some tat soi in their place.

I dug the rest of the potatoes.  They weren't quite dead, but I have cabbage starts that desperately need a home, so I dug them up.  I got 9 pounds of Bintjes, mostly good-sized ones.

This one is my favorite.  Very voluptuous.

I got 6.3 pounds of the Rio Grandes.  Almost every one is a nice big baker.

Now that I have the rest of that bed free, I'll plant the cabbages and a couple of kales.  I also pulled some carrots (4 lbs. 3 ozs.) from the bed with the broccoli.  Both the broccoli bed and the Brussels sprouts/cabbage bed have shade cloth over them, rather than floating row cover.  It will keep the butterflies out and also keep the plants cool.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I have a new toy -- a food dehydrator.  I think my first project will be zucchini.  I'm starting to get lots.

August 23, 2012

I pulled the last of the summer squash in the big pots (the Dark Star, which did quite nicely).  In it's place I planted more beets (sigh!), some Gourmet Blend and a few Early Wonders.

I trimmed a lot more of the Butternut Squash, keeping only ones that were at least 5" long.  There are 12 or 14.  We'll see which ones make it.  The Acorn Squash in the front yard (2 plants) have 6 mature fruit, plus several smaller ones, which I'll leave for now.  The ones in a big pot on the back deck (Also 2 plants) have 5 mature ones, with no new fruit coming. 

I picked two pounds of green beans, which I froze.  The beans appear to be taking a break, not many coming right now.  The heat from last week may have set them back temporarily.  We have lots of other things to eat, so we won't miss them for now.  The Yin and Yang and Black Turtle bush beans are just about dead.  There are lots of pods on them.

August 22, 2012

Today I pulled the Mexican grey squash and sowed some spinach (Bloomsdale) in the pot.  I also sowed some speckled trout's back lettuce in with the earlier lettuce I planted in another large pot.

I put upside down pots and saucers under the melons.  I counted 24 of them.  Of course, not all will ripen.  In fact, it's entirely possible that none of them will ripen.  I've noticed that they are now shaded in the morning by the big fir tree. 

We had a fun dinner today.  I made sweet and sour eggplant with two Rosa Biancas.  I made a fresh green bean salad and steamed the last Mexican grey squash.  And of course, tomatoes. 

August 19, 2012

It was cooler today (78) so I decided I'd better can the beans I'd picked.  I had about four and a half pounds, which resulted in eight pints.

I picked a couple of eggplants, a Ping Tang and a Malaysian Dark Red.  

August 18, 2012

Today I bought a six pack of cabbage plants (Golden Acre) at 13th Street Nursery.  I transferred them to 4" pots and set them under the cover with the Brussels sprouts.  As soon as the last potatoes are dug, I'll plant them in that space. 

I went to the growers market this morning.  I was heartened to see that the only tomatoes Persephone Farm had for sale were Stupice and Early Cascade.  Obviously everyone else's tomatoes are ripening slowly, too.

August 17, 2012

Today I picked the first Cherokee Purple tomato.  We had it for breakfast.  There is also a San Marzano tomato just about ripe.  The Stupices and Orange Kings are ripening sporadically. 

There is a flower on the second planting of zucchini, a female one.  So just as extra insurance, I used a brush to pollinate it.  As I did so, I noticed a honey bee just arriving in the flower.  As soon as I'm sure we have squash coming, I'll pull the earlier plants. 

August 15, 2012

Yesterday I picked over 7 pounds of Blue Lake beans.  Today I took them, along with the cucumbers, to the Table of Plenty food pantry at Queen of Peace church.  I noticed there are already a lot of beans of picking size on the plants.  It's been hot, but maybe I'll have to break down and can some tomorrow.

The little chard plants that I started in a six pack on July 15 and planted in the ground are doing nicely.  A few bit the dust (heat? slugs?) but the rest are taking off.  Now if I can just keep the leaf miners away...

I cut off the growing tips on the butternut squash and cantaloupes.  There are plenty of fruit already forming, and this will allow the plants to expend their energy on ripening rather than setting more fruit. The smallest squash are about 3" long, the smallest melons are baseball size.  We'll see if they ripen.

The second and third (and last!) apples fell off the North Pole apple tree.  They're still fairly green, with some red areas.  They taste o.k., so I guess they're ripe.

August 13, 2012

I finally got the Brussels sprouts settled permanently.  I dug about half of the potato bed (most were dead, a few close) and planted the sprouts there.  I was able to cover them with Reemay (for the cabbage moths, which we have in spades) and shade cloth (because it's hot and getting hotter (92 today). 

I picked 15 large cucumbers today, most of which will go to the food bank.  I decided that three cucumber plants is way too many.  Next year I'll try just two. 

The green and yellow zucchini plants that I started in early July are growing like mad.  They also have small fruit already.  It's a good thing, because the ones I planted earlier are looking sad.  I've gotten a good number of squash off them, but the time has come to pull them up.  I had originally planted two plants in each large pot on the deck.  I eventually pulled one of each, but I think they would have been better if I'd left both.  There seems to be plenty of room for two in a pot.  I think I'll grow them in pots again next year.  The Mexican Grey squash appears to be finished.  It really didn't do very well.  I guess that's why no one grows them here in Oregon.  It's too bad, because they are very good.

August 9, 2012

Two weeks ago I bought six pack starts of broccoli (Fall Blend), cauliflower (Snow Crown), and Brussels sprouts.  I put them in 4" pots, but they are really getting big.  I was hoping to plant them in the potato bed, after I dug the potatoes, of course.  But the potatoes are still not quite ready to dig, so I had to find another place.  I pulled out the snap pea plants, which I was holding for seed.  I decided I really don't need them.  And I harvested some of my earliest carrots in the same bed.

 

I added some fertilizer to the area and planted the broccoli and cauliflower.  I still haven't planted the Brussels sprouts yet, but I think it's time to pull out the chard.  I can get all the sprouts in that bed. 

Meanwhile, back at the snap peas.  I had left a few plants that seemed to last longer as the summer heated up.  In fact, I pulled one that not only had a few peas, it even had a couple of flowers!  So I'll save those seeds and see what happens next year when I plant them.  It would be great to be able to stretch the pea season.  

August 8, 2012

I pulled the bush beans.  They were getting lumpy and stubby, and I have plenty of pole beans now.  I added some compost and chicken pellets to the bed and planted gourmet blend beets.  I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to plant any more beets this year.  But I couldn't resist trying it just one more time.

I planted the chard that I started on July 15.  I don't have any room in the vegetable beds, so I put them in the flower bed.  Why not?  They're so beautiful.

August 6, 2012

Today I picked 6 1/4 pounds of beans.  Some were the bush beans but most were the Blue Lake pole beans.  They are doing very well.  But I think next year half a bed rather than a whole bed would be plenty.  Or maybe I'll plant only bush beans and do three-week succession plantings.  I have about a dozen plants now, which I think would be enough for one planting.  I made six jars of dill beans with half of the beans I picked and froze the rest.  It's too hot to can right now.

For dinner I made a quesadilla with sauteed onions, two tiny eggplants, a Gypsy pepper, a Mexican grey squash and a small potato.  I added a little basil and oregano and some cheddar cheese.  It turned out really good.

The broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts starts I bought at 13th Street Nursery are doing very well.  I have them under a floating row cover, then topped with a double piece of shade cloth on a hoop.  As soon as the potatoes come out I'll plant them all in that bed. 

August 5, 2012

Today is the first day of my new garden blog.  I've created it to keep track of my vegetable garden.  I'll post photos, data on what's ripe, varieties, and ideas for next year.  I'll also put in an occasional photo.

Today is really hot ( 90 degrees).  Yesterday was 99, so we're moving in the right direction.  Most of the veggies have taken the heat in stride, but the ones planted along the south wall of the house (rhubarb, eggplant) have suffered a bit.  I put up a shade cloth to give them a little protection, and I've watered them a lot.  I'm going to rethink putting anything in that bed next year.  I thought it would be good for them, but I guess it's too much of a good thing.

Today I started a big pot of Arctic Tundra Blend lettuce, arugula, and mizuna.  The lettuce that I started in six packs has started to come up, as well as the lettuce in the big pots among the squash on the deck.