JayneR13 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 10:52 am Another day, more weeding and pruning! The Brussels sprouts are interesting. The little cabbages are growing in many of the leaf axils whether I pruned there or not. I can see I'm going to have to check these daily for harvest, like cauliflower.


IMG_2357.jpeg


IMG_2358.jpeg

Today's haul. Red Siberian, San Marzano, and Firebird Sweet. Some kohlrabi for the freezer and bits of broccoli, carrot, and a small onion for the table. A couple of cayenne peppers as well. The tomatoes to the left are for seed saving.


IMG_2359.jpeg

Probably a couple of weeks before those sprouts are ready @JayneR13. Leave as many leaves on as you can until time to harvest, then break off each leaf as the sprout above it sizes up. Aim to pick while they are still tight bundles of leaves. If left too long on the plant they will eventually loosen as they go to flower.

Thanks @Whwoz! I'll keep an eye on them. I've seen a few leaves loosen already on some of the plants. I'm looking forward to my first-ever homegrown sprouts though! I've learned to love them, once I tasted homegrown.

The pantry garden. I can't believe it's almost Labor Day, but here we are! This year's purpose was righting the ship and get it sailing in a good direction. Now that's done, we can better align the plantings with the actual needs of the pantry. To that end, I'm clearing out the herb area in preparation for garlic planting. The strawberry patch is half its former size and I've been told that very few of the pantry's clients are interested in oregano, thyme, parsley, or sage. A small area for the pollinators is fine but since the clients are more interested in garlic, onions, beets, kale, and cilantro, that's what I'm preparing to grow. I did leave the blooming oregano (front left) for a few weeks longer. There are also seeds planted in that dirt. Hopefully the garden gods will be kind!


The view facing east. Tomatoes have started to come. We picked 46 pounds of those, cucumbers, and squash yesterday. It feels good in my heart to help other people during hard times, especially since I'm solidly in semi-retirement whether I was ready or not! The publishing industry is cutting costs in the form of software over freelancers, and I may be entirely retired sooner than expected. It doesn't bother me, although I'd wanted to work awhile longer and therefore save awhile longer. The house is paid for, I did save over the years, and even a lower SS payment will help. Take it while they've got it, right?


I also pulled the last zucchini from the big bed at home today due to mosaic virus, so zukes have been a wash for me this year. Other than that big one and 2-3 for the table, I've gotten zip from 7 plants! Oh well. This is why we put up generously with the stuff we do get. Tomorrow's kitchen work involves freezing kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, and corn. I've also got enough tomatoes for a batch of sauce, and picked up a sweet Sicilian spice package at the market I want to try. I accept what the garden gives, with gratitude. I'd like to plant some beets in that space, which are short DTM, but the rabbits like the leaves. Sigh.

Happy harvesting! From the garden or the farmer's market, the pantry fills just the same.

Puttering around my own garden this morning. It's supposed to get hugely hot & sticky here over the next several days so I wanted to get a few things done before outside past 8am became unbearable. If I can't have zucchini this year, perhaps I can have beets. Those are early DTM plants and I've been dying to try out these cloches. Also note in the upper left corner: that transplanted zuke has decided to live! I don't know if I'll get anything from it but such a valiant plant deserves some space.


Peppers are coming along nicely. They appreciate not being shaded out by the zucchini. Danged vines never would grow in the direction I tried to train them. Evidently zukes herd like cats.


Tomatoes on the vine, Firebird Sweet and red Siberian. A squirrel actually ate the older RS I'd been saving for seed, so I grabbed what was left and jarred it for fermenting. Squirrels aren't usually that cooperative.


Today's harvest. I now have a drawer full for sauce. Firebird Sweets, red Siberians, and San Marzanos.

I can't believe it's almost Labor Day! Happy gardening!

JayneR13 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2024 10:13 am Another day in garden paradise! I admit that halfway through the season, I'm feeling a bit tired. I still have a ways to go however, so I continue. I had to pull another zuke from the shoe horn area due to mosaic. Sigh. But at least other things are doing well! Today's small haul was a few more onions, along with some onion bubils. A few got replanted to keep the bed going, a few for the swap. Volunteer potato and broccoli side shoot for the table. Beans are being saved for the swap.

IMG_2319.jpeg

IMG_2330.jpeg

Kohlrabis are looking good! Looks like I'll have a few of those to freeze, which is nice. The more I can grow for my pantry, the better. Thankfully the farmer's market has been reasonable for broccoli and cauliflower. I'm sure they're bringing that up from down South or growing it under glass. Either way is fine with my freezer


IMG_2320.jpeg


Cabbages are forming nice heads as well. This one is a replacement; my originals that survived are still runted but forming heads. Small heads are better than no heads.


IMG_2322.jpeg


Peppers and tomatoes. These were being shaded out by the zukes so pulling them had benefits. That saves me from having to trim them. I don't enjoy being stabbed.


IMG_2323.jpegIMG_2324.jpeg

While you have kohlrabi, I highly recommend tasting the leaves. They're delicious. If you get any flowers, try those, too; they're even better.

I’ve read that the leaves of brassicas are edible! I’ll have to give them a try. Any recipe tips?

JayneR13 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 24, 2024 5:36 pm I’ve read that the leaves of brassicas are edible! I’ll have to give them a try. Any recipe tips?

I just steam them a bit and throw them in my salads. I'm sure that there are many more ways to use them.

Well look at this! That transplanted yellow squash is alive! If I get any fruits from it, I might just save them for seed. A tough, valiant plant like this doesn’t come along every day. I am amazed!

50 pounds of produce for the food pantry today that gives me a good feeling in my heart! There may be a few more ripe tomorrow. We’ll see!

Puttering around in the garden between storms. Things could actually be a great deal worse, although I finally put my last zucchinis out of their misery. Even that most valiant of plants just wasn't looking good, and we don't have very long left in the growing season anyway. My peppers however, are looking pretty good! I didn't harvest these quite yet but they are pretty, and both cayenne pepper plants are loaded! As are the apple and Beaver Dam peppers. Note to self next year: don't plant them next to the zucchini.



My Jade Crown Brussels sprouts are making babies! They're quite different from the Catskills. Their growth habit is much more compact, for one thing. The JCs are replacement plants from the local garden center. The Catskills were home grown.


Also, this is the same Catskill I showed last time. I've been waiting and keeping an eye on them to harvest, but they've never gotten very large. Then the little cabbages opened into leaves, no warning and very small in size. Yes the leaf litter is gone


I have some nice cabbages growing, the larger being the replacement plants. It's amazing how much trouble one bag of bad media can be, although I'm sure the very wet season has played into this as well. Still, the replacement plants have dealt with the wet feet far better than my poor runts. But everyone is forming heads, small and large. I don't need any more kraut, and one head will likely make all of the kimchi I need for one year. I'll look at recipes and find something to try. Suggestions are welcome!


The replacement cauliflowers are forming heads. Clothes pins are very useful here. Let's see if I can grow my very first large farmer's market-worthy head!



Today's harvest: carrots, tomatoes (Firebird Sweet and San Marzano), and some broccoli leaf hidden in the carrot tops. I can fry that up with some of the carrots and some onion for a nice, fresh side dish. The carrot tops go very well fresh into pasta salads, I've found.


Those San Marzanos grow like weeds! That must be from the cherry tomato lineage. I've had to prune them back to keep them from shading out all of the other tomatoes. They've already out-competed the red Siberians, which aren't that inclined to compete anymore since they've flowered. They're determinant, for anyone who doesn't know. Thankfully I did get some fresh seed for the swap! And there are a few fruits that may redden up yet. The rabbit-decimated broccoli never did form heads; even the one I saved formed small shoots but no nice, central head. That one's flowering so I'm letting it set seed. That and perhaps a few usable leaves might be this year's harvest. I accept what the garden gives with gratitude! Since I'm in semi-retirement and might be retired sooner than expected, the garden has become even more important. I think my grandparents used a lot more of your average plant than younger gardeners do these days! Not the tomato leaves/stems of course, but the edible leaves that aren't commonly known these days. So I might as well learn those tricks! My grandparents raised my parents through the Depression. They knew stuff.

Happy gardening!

Lest I forget: my first hydroponics tomatoes of this batch. Minibel and Pendulina.

Another day, another harvest! San Mariano, Firebird Sweet, and a couple Glovels. Blackberries are ripening, as are onions and peppers. Those Brussels sprouts are small, but I saw only slightly larger on the plant opening into leaves. So, small sprouts are better than no sprouts! Please enjoy my very first home grown Brussels sprouts!


Sauce, of course. I even added one small cayenne for a different flavor. Soon I’ll have a canner full so will can these accordingly. I hate to go too all of that trouble for 2-3 jars. A full load is 8.


The Defiant and Totem tomatoes. The Defiant is on the left and was planted a few weeks later than the Totem. Both will likely overwinter in the house. Since they’re not even blooming I doubt anything would ripen and I hate to waste good seed! The Defiant was expensive!


Clearing things out a few plants at a time & preparing to plant garlic. Wouldn’t you know I have a huge job coming up just in time for garlic planting and clean out! I’ll get it all done though.


Happy gardening!

I'm starting to clean out the food pantry garden. Cucumbers and beans are done, and I'm looking pretty hard at those summer squashes. I see a couple of fruits set on those and a couple of female flowers, so I'll give them another week. They're definitely slowing down though. The empty space on the right was cucumbers. Some tomatoes got shoehorned in when I pulled the peas, and the space after that was beans. Peas and beans were planted by the last gardener and are unlikely to be repeated next year.


The winter squashes are doing nicely, powdery mildew notwithstanding! Hand pollinating them doesn't hurt anything LOL. The butternuts are looking especially prolific.


Ending of season and I'm feeling the tired! I can't believe it's almost time to plant garlic but there it is. The pantry might get planted one week early since I'm starting a big book indexing job 9/24. One week early won't hurt them, especially if it gets cold earlier than usual. Happy gardening!

Look what I found hiding in my garden! Two perfect cayenne peppers. Cayennes have too much heat for me so they’ll probably end up at the food pantry. We have lots of Latino clients.

It's garlic planting time! Yes about one week early, but my last big indexing job is scheduled to land next week and I want to have this done before. This is the home front, 30 cloves planted with 4 more heads on the way. My name is Jayne, and I'm a seedaholic! I just couldn't resist the Krasnodar red and white from Seed Savers Exchange. This planting is from last year's saved seed.


Nice and covered to keep moisture in until sprout, with room on both sides for the above mentioned. This was my garlic area years ago when I first started seriously gardening here. I had to move my planting to different areas a few years ago because the garlic heads were really small even though I fertilized. Crop rotation matters, as does fresh seed stock. Hopefully they'll be happy here again.


The food pantry garden. I planted 151 cloves in this area, which were well watered and covered in cardboard pending sprout. Since I didn't run hose through this area I had to haul buckets, and the soil was quite dry one shovel full down so that meant quite a few buckets. What fun! But it's done and the clients will be happy. I thought it would take me an hour this morning. Good thing I went early because it took me three! This is the former herb area. The last gardener left me with a huge oregano bush to dig up. It was a lovely bush but unloved by the pantry's clients. I'm told we get a lot of Latinos. They don't seem interested in oregano. So, garlic and onions it is.


Two more days until Fall Eqinox and the weather is in the 80s! We haven't had any rain for quite some time but the guessers have said tonight, so we'll see. My new metal raised bed should be here today; it's replacing the wooden bed I've had for 4-5 years that's showing white rot. I also got some garden soil to replenish the beds. The cubic yard I got a few years back was actually unfinished compost, was murder to haul, and has caused more problems than I care to think about! So I coughed up the same amount of money for 12-1 cubic foot bags of organic garden soil, delivered. Yes, more expensive, but also likely of higher quality. Landscapers don't seem to like residential minimum orders and since I don't drive, I sometimes have to do things in unconventional ways. I'll likely assemble the raised bed in spring, giving the wood one more winter to rot so it's easier to remove. The soil will go into the other beds soon, 2 bags per bed. That works.

Happy gardening!

I sure do hope that everyone at the food pantry appreciates all that you do. You work very hard for them.

It's good to give back to the community and use my skills to help others in need. While they don't say much, I do get smiles and hugs when I see them. Also, volunteers are allowed to take food for themselves. While my very sudden retirement is financially viable, the extra food helps. The good feeling in my heart also helps.

It's a lovely summer day in my corner of creation! Never mind that it'll be October on Tuesday, it's in the 70s and sunny today. I'd really prefer to enjoy some Fall before winter sets in though. But weather or no, it's time to start cleaning out some beds. I've got all of the tomato stuff I need so I cleaned out the tomato bed today. I have two bags full for the food pantry and the new soil is in.


New soil has been added to the strawberry bed as well. Those have been coming back since I found where the rabbits were getting in and I did get some OK onions from that bed. It's nearly time to sleep however, and new topsoil is a good thing. I actually purchased bagged soil this year, so hopefully it'll be better quality than the unfinished compost the landscape company sold me three years ago. Yes it was more expensive but quality matters and I did get it both on sale and delivered.


My peppers are still going. Peppers are so pokey they're barely getting started when everything else is finishing up, but so it is. The hot peppers will likely end up at the pantry. This is one plant of four that are loaded.



I am so bummed! This is all that's left of my prize pitcher plant! It was a lovely Sarracenia North Carolina yellow jacket, which is an S. purpurea hybrid. It fell to rhizome rot. This is all of the rhizome that looked healthy, and may or may not live. I've had the plant for 5-6 years and it was beautiful! It even flowered a couple of times. Alas, no longer.


Beets under the cloches, safe from the rabbits. Not that they haven't been trying! I might get to enjoy one meal of them. That's better than nothing! I tried to at least get something from every bed, replanting when something went bust. Maybe I'll get one meal and a P for Persistence.


Miss Yin resting after a hard day's resting. She's taken to this indoor kitty stuff pretty well. It's hard to believe that I took her in just 13 months ago. Keeping in mind that she spent the first 9 as a downstairs cat because Kona refused to accept her, in the last 3 months since he died she's done quite well.


Garden review so far: it's been a really challenging year! So many things happened: the intense spring rains with cool weather, giving up my Community Gardens space, I started volunteering working the food pantry garden, one cat died and another has settled in. I'm 90% retired from the freelance business I started 24 years ago October 3rd, with full retirement coming at the end of the month when I finish the big book. At least it's a cool history book with a big check, but I'm still looking forward to being fully retired. A new chapter in my life that's both scary and exhilarating! But after 7 weeks of retirement, I'm ready to pack it in. I've got plenty to do, and I'm sure that will be true in winter as well! Time to enjoy living off of all of the money I've put away over the years. Can we say yummy dividends, boys and girls?

In my garden, those San Marzano tomatoes outgrew pretty much everything! They're quite prolific and thankfully tasty because that's what's in the pantry. The Firebird Sweets made a couple. The poor Glovel and red Siberians never had a chance. Next year if I grow the SM again, it'll have its own space away from all of the others. Like in Costa Rica.

Zucchinis were a bust. Mosaic virus took 7 plants. I got enough for some bread and for the table, but that's it. I should have been drowning in zukes! Good thing I had a bumper year a couple of years ago. I still have some pickles and relish left.

Brassicas have been hit & miss. While I've come the closest I've ever been to a full head of cauliflower, the 4" heads browned and rotted. They're in the compost pile as I type. Broccoli was a bust thanks to the rabbits, though I do have one setting seed for the swap. The plants they ate down to the stems never really came back. Kohlrabi produced but not the nice, round meristem I'm used to. What they did give is pretty tough even after blanching, but I suppose it's tougher to have none, right? Brussels sprouts have been producing but the heads are tiny. If I leave them to get bigger, they open up into leaves. I've had a few for the table though. Most of the cabbages are forming heads but not all. No big since I can use the leaves for things like kimchi and won't have to cut them up as much. These are still outside since they do well in colder weather.

Strawberries were a bust but I did get some onions out of that bed. That's a positive! All I can say is: good thing for the farmer's market! I've spent $110 on vegetables and processed them myself, and my freezers are full. That's a lot cheaper than buying the stuff at the store, plus my bags are filled towards my preference. None of the mixes that are found in the freezer section! And it's cheaper than the CSA, wherein I get what the farmer has. I bought my food from the same guy, but again, my preferences. This kind of a year would've been a lot harder on my grandparents and great-grands, who didn't have grocery stores. They knew their neighbor farmers though! Oh well. There's always next year!

Just amazing what you have done this year.
Losses and fails are part of the deal, you did great with your successes!

Yup! We garden and we learn, sometimes the hard way! And no one can control the weather. I've heard that it's been a challenging year all over, so it isn't just me. Life is like this.

The garlic at the food pantry is coming up! I also took down all of the fencing the last gardener used. That'll make rototilling easier, for one thing. It'll also make crop rotation easier. I can't wait until all five rows are up! Hopefully the three rows of onion I planted will also come up. Keeping my fingers crossed that the rabbits stay out of my alliums!