Because “harvesting new potatoes” sounds so much better than “this is all we got thanks to that blasted disease that wiped out the plants,” doesn’t it?
Photo: tamakisono
Because “harvesting new potatoes” sounds so much better than “this is all we got thanks to that blasted disease that wiped out the plants,” doesn’t it?
While you might think that “July” would be synonymous with “hot” or “sunshine” our summer has been sorely lacking in either of those. More than a month of near-daily rain has kept us damp and susceptible to powdery mildew, slugs, and failure to thrive. In spite of Mother Nature’s lack of cooperation, we are having some success. My son documented what’s going on out there at the moment. In spite of the weather we’re harvesting enough tomatoes for fresh eating from both in-ground plants and hanging tomatoes. The eggplant leaves are yellowing terribly – suggestions? Even with the yellowing leaves, I’m getting a decent crop of eggplant. This pepper plant was given to me by a neighbor. Not sure what it is, but it’s thriving here. It’s a bit spicy, and prolific. I’m discovering that finding plants that have traditionally done well here seems to be the ticket. (Note to self: stop experimenting!) But see, if I stopped experimenting I wouldn’t have discovered this pepper that’s putting on a nice show. (I believe it’s Lipstick from Baker Creek, but marauding chickens scratched up the plant markers.) I’m over the moon excited about growing Brussels sprouts. I’ve never grown them before and...
Sure, chickens love radish leaves, but it’s a shame to let the chickens have all the fun. I harvested a bunch of radishes from the garden earlier today and saved some of the greens to try this. Consensus? Pretty tasty! Creamy Radish Leaf Salad Dressing Greens from one bunch of radishes (about 1 cup) 1 clove garlic 3/4 cup sour cream 1/8 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Whir all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve with salad or as a veggie dip. If you’ve got radishes aplenty, you might also want to try making radish leaf pesto.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get by with whatever works. Our front yard garden area is steep, as I’ve mentioned before. We’re planning to install rock walls, but so far it’s not exactly working out as planned. Last year at this time, my husband was working away from home so I tried my (failed) straw bale retaining wall experiment. This year, he’s battling a back injury and he hasn’t been exactly thrilled about hoisting rocks around. So, I came up with Plan C. I’m sure you’ve all seen the images of the vertical pallet garden floating around the web, right? Well, why not expand on that idea and use those pallets to retain the soil in my garden? I’m always willing to try something new - especially if it’s not going to cost me anything to try it – so I picked up a few pallets and brought them home. (There was only a little eye rolling from other members of the family.) We dug trenches about 18″ deep where we wanted the walls to be and then set a pallet into the trench with the boards situated horizontally. We filled the trench up, making sure to pack soil between the pallet boards, as...
Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I proudly showed my grandma a wee sweet caterpillar. Instead of oohing and aahing over my find, Grandma snatched the wooly thing out of my hand and smashed it under foot. To her, it was simply a garden pest, but I was crushed. I like to think that I’d never do such a thing in front of a child, but I can and do handpick pests in the privacy of my own garden. Cabbage whites – more specifically, their caterpillars – are wreaking havoc on my kale and Brussels sprouts. The other day when a moth flew by, I did the logical thing and snatched it out of the air. There were no witnesses to my cruelty or to the fact that I’d snatched a moth right out of the air. I have turned into my Grandma, albeit a ninja version of my grandma. Cabbage whites are drawn to brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, kale…). Getting these plants established in a garden can be difficult when a single caterpillar can decimate a young plant. While they’re small, consider covering the plants with some sort of mesh to keep the moths off...
Unless you’re growing head lettuce, your greens can be a “cut and come again” crop. Instead of pulling the entire plant, thus ending the fresh salads, use scissors to cut off the outer leaves near the base of the plant. Leave the inner leaves intact and the entire plant will continue to grow. I’ve been harvesting my lettuce this way for a month and will continue to do so until the plant goes to seed. This is what my lettuce looked like before today’s harvest: This is what it looks like now: Within a week, it will look like that first picture again.
One of my readers, Ray, is trying valiantly to grow carefully chosen tomatoes from seed. But he’s getting frustrated: My plants were looking a little yellow so I figured they needed sun, but maybe I left them out too long. Some look basically dead…leaves are like blanched or something. How long does it take usually to get them used to the sun? Is it like an hour a day then two hours then 3 and so on or less/more? I feel frustrated because I put a lot of effort into selecting my seeds and getting the seed soil and everything else. I have my last bit of seeds in damp soil inside medium pots…I am pretty sure they are germinating…at this point are they better just planted outside you think?? Ray, tomatoes are something that I bought as plants for YEARS. If you’re new to gardening, I hate to see you frustrated trying to start tomatoes from seed. Do you have a local source for heirloom tomato plants? They’re more expensive, but way less frustrating! As far as seeds go, I’ve found that you really need to keep the seedlings at a consistent temperature with consistent moisture (maintain moisture...
I posted earlier about my upside-down tomato experiment. After several months of growing, this is what it looks like: And here’s another plant, complete with ripening fruit: There is some slight browning on the edges of some of the leaves that I’m keeping my eyes on. I’m watering only about once a week, which surprises me. I’d expected this plant to dry out quickly, but so far that hasn’t been the case. I’m pleased enough with how it’s growing that I intend to plant a few more this way. Want to try it yourself? Instructions here.
While much of our steep lot is shady, we have plenty of sunshine on our driveway. My husband, however, is steadfast in his refusal to rip up the concrete to put in a garden. Not to be dissuaded, I came up with an alternative plan to utilize the space: upside down tomatoes. You’ve seen those Topsy Turvy contraptions, right? I decided to create one of my own with a bucket I had on hand to see how well it works. It took about two hours, including paint drying time. If you’re not painting, you’re looking at 20 minutes or so. Click through for my step-by-step photos if you’d like to give it a try, too.
Radishes are one of the fastest ripening crops a gardener can plant. If you’re aching to have something – anything – that you grew yourself on the dinner table, radishes are a good bet. They’re one of the earliest crops you can plant, and are ready in just 3-4 weeks from planting date. But don’t stop at eating the rosy roots. I discovered a couple of years ago that the radish leaves are edible too. (I have no idea how I grew up without knowing this!) My writing colleague, April Paffrath, shared a recipe for radish leaf pesto on Wicked Tasty Harvest a couple of years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Spicier than pesto made with basil leaves, radish leaf pesto is a fabulous way to stretch the harvest from an early spring garden. I’ve served it over pasta, and my kids love to spread it on crackers or in mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a tendency to maintain its bright green hue without discoloring like traditional pesto does, so it’s a nice bet for a pretty springtime appetizer, too. If you know me at all, you know that I didn’t make this without modifying April’s...
