Potatoes

Today I planted a single row of potatoes in one of the beds. I planted one russet, just to try it, and the rest were yellow, I hope Yukon gold. 

The peppers and aubergines that I started ten days ago are up and out in the greenhouse. The lettuce and spinach are up, but no chard yet.

After the Ice

 During the week that our power was out, following an ice storm, I started more seeds. I planted celery, leeks, and onions. 

Out in the garden I sowed lettuce, arugula, Ethiopian kale, spinach, two kinds of chard, and three kinds of peas. 

The first lettuce and chard are in the greenhouse and doing well. The onions and leeks are now ready to put out there. 

Chard

Today I started my chard. I sowed two six packs of Rainbow chard and one six pack of Bietola a Costa Fine, which I got from Adaptive Seeds. It's supposed to be a Tuscan type but with narrower ribs and very sweet flavor. The lettuce, arugula and kale are up and are out in the greenhouse.

First Frost

Two nights ago we had our first frost, although the temperature only got down to 36. But with the colder temperatures coming, I pulled out most of the summer vegetable garden. 

I sliced and froze all the bell peppers, except for four, which I'll stuff for a couple of dinners. The zucchini had a few small fruits on it, so we'll have those soon. I have several jars of shredded zucchini in the freezer for zucchini bread. I have several aubergines, which I'll probably make into more ratatouille. 

When a substantial rain storm was predicted a couple of weeks ago, I picked all the tomatoes, mostly San Marzanos, which had any color on them. I put them in the guest room to ripen. I now have enough tomato soup for nine lunches, plus two trays of roasted tomatoes, with garlic, basil, and olive oil. I'm planning to use them on pizza, or maybe as a pasta topping. I had also canned 26 pints of cut up tomatoes. 

We still have lots of things in the garden for winter. I have a row of kohlrabi, a row of beets, a row of chard, and two rows of spinach. One bed has cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, several plants of each. I have about twenty bok choy plants, plus a few short rows of mache, arugula, and Ethiopian kale. And I have a row of turnips and rutabagas. There is still some lettuce, but I don't expect that to last much longer. I planted a few snap peas at the end of the strawberry bed. They probably won't produce anything until next spring. And of course, there are still several rows of carrots.

I got just four delicata squash, which was a bit disappointing. Next year I'll grow a vining one instead of the bush variety. I also have three small 'Honey Nut' squash, which may or may not make it. They're still not ready to pick. Again, next year I'll do a full size butternut vine.

Status of Fall Garden

The fall brassicas have been moved into the potato bed, with a net cover over them. They're growing nicely now.

In the box with the leeks I've planted some rainbow chard and sowed some spinach. They're all small, but coming along. 

We've had some really hot weather (and now lots of wildfire smoke!) The tomatoes are happy. I picked 4 1/2 pounds yesterday and canned them today (3 jars plus a smaller one). The melons are getting close. They also love the heat. 

I pulled out all the cranberry beans that were planted among the tomatoes. The other dry beans aren't ready to pull yet. 

More Fall Starts

It seemed like I could get one more row of carrots in, so I sowed more 'Yaya's. I also started a pot of 'Bright Lights' chard and a small pack of 'Yuushou' Pak Choi. I'm not sure where they'll go, but I'll find a spot.

I made a second batch of strawberry jam. The first one was very thick. This one is definitely thinner. Maybe it'll be syrup.

Late June Garden Status

After a rather cool spring, things are finally warming up. There are small green tomatoes on all the plants. No peppers or aubergines yet. After the snap peas fell over in a strong wind, I removed them yesterday. There were lots that were huge and fat, so I shelled them and froze them. Next year I think I'll try short ones. And now the cucumbers will be happy because they've been living in the shadow of the peas.

The potatoes are blooming. We've had some strawberries, but now they're taking a break. We've been picking blueberries for about two weeks, but most of them are still coming. I guess they liked the fertilizer I gave them, because they're huge. Even the new one that I just planted this spring to replace the Chandler has a nice crop. After we found a couple of stink bugs on the raspberries, I've pulled them all out. We haven't seen any since. In their place I planted some melons. They should like the heat against the house.

Both pear trees have a modest crop. The peaches are a washout again. Maybe it's time to give up on it.

The broccoli and cauliflower were a disappointment, but the cabbage is nice. I've cut one head and will cut another soon for sauerkraut. I will try them all again in the fall.

I've been doing a lot of interplanting. I've planted lots of dry beans among the roses and tomatoes, and lettuce as well. I've also just sowed some bok choi in shady spots to see if they'll work in the summer.

I pulled most of the chard, since I was spending a lot of time patrolling them for leaf miners. I have one of each color, much more manageable.

Uncertain Times

With the unfolding of the coronavirus pandemic, I've decided to plant more vegetables. I went to Wilco today and bought starts of chard, onions, kale, bok choi, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. I've planted the chard, bok choi and kale in the bed at the side of the house, in front of the dahlias. The onions went into the center of the onion bed. The brassicas will go into their own bed with an insect barrier over it.

On the positive side, the peach tree is blooming (I'm hand pollinating just in case the bees don't find it) and the pear trees are close. The early blueberries are starting to bloom. I've started more lettuce, bok choi, and kale, including Ethiopian kale. I also sowed a row of carrots. All my earlier starts are doing well under a fluorescent light, except the aubergines, which are not up yet. I think the heat mat was too much for them. I've put some insulation between the six pack and the mat, so it isn't quite so warm. We'll see.

We've had several days of sun and 60s temperatures. Tomorrow it cools off and we have a week of rain coming. I'm happy to have a rest, and the new plants will appreciate the rain.

Starting seeds

Today I started a bunch of things for the garden: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, and chard.

The green onions and leeks that have been out in the greenhouse are doing well. They'll be ready to set out in the garden soon.

I also sowed pak choi and spinach in the garden.

Status Report - July 23, 2018

Things have really been happening in the garden.  I've harvested the garlic and two of the potato plants.  We're now getting Stupice and Lizzano cherry tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, bell peppers, aubergines, carrots, chard, and kale.  The lettuce was very good (starts from Minto Island Growers) but have now bolted.  I've just planted the third sowing of green beans

and the last two rows of carrots.

 I also planted some cranberry beans.

 The leeks are ready but I haven't pulled any yet.

I started two Kale-ette plants from seed.  I moved them to the potato bed and put them under a shade cover because it's been in the 90s.

The herb bed has been a great success.  I'll do it again next year.

The rhubarb and squash bed is doing well.

The trough planter is really filling in.

 The new bed is filling in gradually.

 And the rose bed has been spectacular.

And last but not least we just picked all the pears on the Ubileen.  It was a bumper crop!

Status Report - June 1, 2018

I've been pretty busy and have really neglected my blog.  Here are some photos from the first of June.

There were hundreds of blossoms on the mandarin.

 The new trough planter.

The new bed along the back fence

Kale and chard.

 Carrots and garlic.

Leeks, peppers, and aubergines.

 And here's the front yard.

Planting and Replanting

Yesterday I sowed kale, chard, and carrot seeds.  Last night something dug up a large section of the carrots.  It was large, with big feet, probably a raccoon. 

So today I planted them again. 

Aftermath

After a good rain yesterday, the snow is finally gone.  Things are alive, but not everything looks good.

The carrots look great.

But the kale, chard and lettuce look a little beat up.

Autumn in the Garden

Things are coming along nicely out in the garden.  After a month of rain nearly every day, totaling over eleven inches, we've had some really pleasant weather so far in November.  The greens in the garden are looking really good.  They're growing, but slowly.


The Romaine lettuce, what's left of it, is getting close to harvesting size.

I picked a few of these tiny pink spinach leaves (Red Kitten) to put in our salad last night.

 

 

 The chard is still too small to pick, but I've been picking the kale for a couple of weeks now.

Even though the carrots have gotten really big, they're still very tasty.  This one was planted in June.  I roasted it yesterday, and it was really good.

Disappearing Greens

For the last week or so, something has been digging up, or rather cutting off, some of my salad greens.  I suspect the squirrels.  They've been very busy burying things in the nice open spaces in the garden beds.

This is the third Romaine lettuce plant that has been decapitated.  They've also taken out several chard plants.

We're Back!

We've returned from our cruise, and boy, have things changed in six weeks. There must be dozens of melons ripe or almost ripe.  And there are about thirty butternut squash.

The tomatoes and peppers are doing well, although I'm not impressed with the Berkeley Tie-Dye tomato.  It tastes pretty good, although no better than Cherokee Purple.  It has some blossom end rot and is nowhere near as prolific as the CP.

I sowed some kale and chard in the bed that had greens previously.  And I pulled the strawberries (because they looked terrible) and sowed carrots and Romaine lettuce.  I'll put garlic in there as well.

Goodbye to the Chard

The overwintered chard has finally decided that enough is enough.  We've been eating it for several months now, but it has started to bolt. 

I have more chard coming, but it isn't quite ready to eat. 

I've also pulled the last of the overwintered carrots.  Some were kind of woody, but most were still in good shape. 

Off and Running

We've had two nice days in a row, so I was able to get most of the vegetable garden started. 

I planted Yukon Gold potatoes, and one bed with spinach, a few beets, and chard.  I immediately covered that bed with netting to keep the leaf miners out (I hope!).

I also sowed one bed with kale, lettuce, and arugula.  I also sowed some basil in that bed.  And I started carrots in the bed that still has some leeks and chard from last year. 

I transplanted the seedling leeks into the herb bed, although they seem really tiny.

Just about everything has started to bloom or leaf out.  The early blueberries are in full bloom, as are the peach and nectarine.  The apples and pears are a little behind, but coming. 

We're seeing several stink bugs a day, including in the house.  I even saw a young light green one. Sigh.

The Battle Continues...

I've now taken out the pole beans.  They were being badly damaged and there was no way to reach the upper vines.  The last stand seems to be the cucumbers, which we have been patrolling religiously. 

The bean bed has been planted with more kohlrabi, a row of beets, and a row of spinach.  I've removed the largest planting of basil (I had delusions of making pesto) and planted a short row of chard in the space.  I found stink bugs in the basil. 

I've found an occasional stink bug under the netting in the tomatoes and the peppers, but so far the damage is minimal. 

Bean Tower

I'm trying again to make a bean tower that actually works.  This one is made from eight 1x2s.  It still needs to be staked down, but I think it might work.

Yesterday I got nine new dahlia tubers in the mail.  Today I planted them in groups along the back wall of the house.  I also planted some zinnia seeds in the big gold pot.  I pulled out all of last fall's carrots.  They had gotten too woody.  And I sowed a couple more rows of Yaya.

Even though I've covered the chard and beet bed, the leaf miners are still in there.  They were probably already in the soil.  I'm doing a daily patrol to get them all out.