Radishes and Carrots and Lettuce, Oh My!

[Whitewater]

Well, things are coming along, slowly but surely. We got a TON of rain (flooded the main freeway here with 2-3' of water, among other things) recently in the last couple days and the morning after the rain, I looked at my veggie garden and could NOT believe my eyes.

Everything, almost (with one exception -- the patty pan squash plant), has literally doubled in size overnight. I was doing double takes at everything I looked at! In addition, there are now veggies where less than 24 hours before, there were NO veggies.

I have the 1st jalapeno pepper and multiple Anaheim chilis, the beans are growing their first true vine tendril (which is over a foot long!), the cukes are about 12" tall and I expect to start seeing vines any day now, the Green bell pepper plant as well as about half of the other pepper plants *doubled* in size, and the Mortgage Lifter has multiple tomatoes on it!

Still only one tomato on the Mr. Stripey and one of the Black Krims, but all the existing tomatoes are beautiful and growing very nicely, and the new tomatoes are popping out like they can't wait to get growing . . . all except for one of the BK's and Mr. S, like I said.

But even then, the single tomato on each of those plants is also doing well and looks like it will be quite large when all is said and done.

So excited for the beans! And everything else, really. It's sort of at that stage where things are established but not quite there yet, except for the tomatoes, all I have to do now with the 1st ones is to wait for them to grow a bit more and then start to ripen, then I can take them inside and put them on the windowsill!

And I would just like to note in passing that Black Krim tomatoes are really pretty when they're green. Mine have a dark green top with wide dark green stripes that extend down and eventually fade into the light green of the rest of the body of the tomato.

The San Marzano tomatoes are doing somewhat the same thing, they're a much darker green at their tops near the stems. I never thought of green tomatoes as 'pretty' before, but my heirlooms are showing me otherwise

Oh, and we now have ripe raspberries! They are so much better than the store, actually juicy and tart and flavorful. I might only get a half-dozen berries this year, but they remind me again why I am going to all this trouble. They're so much better than the store version it's not even funny. the raspberries next year will be awesome . . .

Every year, my garden teaches me patience!

I also note in passing that since I first planted in early April, I have only had to water *once*. We've had so much more rain than normal . . . last summer I was watering every day.


LOL, I think I'm going to go out there right now and see for myself if there are still any more effects from the recent rain!


Whitewater

 

[digitS']

I have discovered, to my shock, that we are now a good 3 weeks behind, despite our early spring. . . .

The details of your growing season have made one thing very clear - hardiness zones don't mean anything for veggie growing . . . except maybe for asparagus, or something!

I suppose it would surprise no one that Minnesota has more severe winters in general than the interior of the Pacific NorthWest. If your garden is behind, I'm sure mine is as well. But still . . . here in zone 5, there are no ripe raspberries, not on June 21st and not today.

I was admiring the tiny green things on my neighbor's vines this morning. That garden is located in the most sheltered location hereabouts and the raspberries are just noticable beneath the dried up flowers.

In the annual veggie realm, I have 2 tiny zucchinis and 2 tiny tomatoes. I had removed all the flowers on the tomato plants when they were set out but may have missed some. That would explain why one of the tomatoes is on the Gary O Sena plant and the other on the Tigerella. Neither of these is considered "early" varieties and they are both new to me so I don't know what to expect.

Seed for the Gary O Sena was an unexpected gift. This is a cross between Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. I would not have expected either of those 2 to ripen here but there may be some hybrid vigor involved in this precocious behavior of their offspring (if that is what it is).

The early early that I would have expected to be the first is Bloody Butcher. Unfortunately, out of the 29 varieties that I started during the long weeks of winter, only the Bloody Butchers died completely from the cold. It seems remarkable that this very early variety turned out to be the most cold sensitive.

Where do you suppose I have a chance to catch up with your zone 4 season, Whitewater? My arugula has begun to bloom . . . I've harvested broccoli for a week now . . . eggs of the Colorado Potato bug have hatched!! I'm not sure what will be next for us.

The Arbor Day Foundation has claimed that this entire area should be changed to a zone 6. Along in February, I might have agreed with them . . .

Steve

 

[Whitewater]

Well, happily we have reached the stage in the veggie garden where we are just weeding and waiting! The Black Krim and Mortgage Lifter tomatoes decided to get with the program and start producing, I have TWO Mr. Stripey tomatoes (though one is pretty badly worm eaten, too badly to even bother harvesting . . . the chickens will get it!), and TWO little ol' baby green zucchini growing.

The hybrid tomatoes are VERY prolific, the heirlooms not so much really, although it looks like we'll get a decent crop of San Marzano tomatoes to thicken the tomato sauce, which is nice.

So far I only have two Cherokee Purple tomatoes. Oh well. We'll see how they taste and perhaps next year I can squeeze another plant in the tomato patch, somehow.

Zukes are thriving, though only one is producing right now -- but the yellow crookneck plant isn't far behind!

Carrots are doing very well, I've taken out the ones that only flowered and am monitoring the others, hopefully we'll be able to have roasted carrots and zucchini for a side dish in a couple weeks!

Strawberries are over for right now, the new 4x4 patch that I planted out this spring with Cavendish berries is totally overrun with buckthorn (an invasive weed in these parts) and I am going to get rid of all of it today after work so that the poor berry plants can get some sun and get established so they can survive the winter. I got a handful of Cavendish berries this season and they were WONDERFUL -- can't wait until next year! They're beautiful to look at, huge (relatively speaking), with a gorgeous flavor and pretty prolific.

Rasberries are also almost done, we've gotten 14 berries total, and I am so excited for next year, the berries we got were juicy, full of flavor, well-formed, and not dry or crumbly at all. They were perfect! Only thing is that they are about half the size of store-bought, and I suspect (as with all my edibles) that this is because I don't use any fertilizers beyond what the compost and worms can provide. But they taste so much better . . .

It's time to harvest the dill and the sage and dry it to keep over the winter, which will happen sometime in the next few days. My lavender bloomed again with small, useless white flowers. dangit. Basil is doing well, and the rosemary is totally overtaken by the sage, but as soon as I harvest, the rosemary will have some more room, so I'm not worried.

The chamomile never did come up. I suspect the birds got it.

Am going to plant currents, two bushes, probably in a couple weeks, as soon as I clear out a spot for them. Our local nursery carries the most popular Red ones and there's not a white pine for miles in any direction, so we should be safe. Looking forward to current cordial and current jelly next year!

Will harvest mint for mint jelly soon. It's very happy in its pot, almost too happy! LOL!

I'm getting a TON of peppers this year, getting them as organic starts from my supplier in CA was the right thing to do. It's going to be SUCH a bigger harvest than last year . . . so far we've got Anaheim chilis, jalapenos, sweet banana peppers (these have *just* started to grow as of yesterday) and green bell peppers (again, teeny weeny babies). The rainbow bells aren't happy and have never been happy. I think they're not getting enough sun. Next year, a sunnier spot!

The beans are all doing well and have started to produce a TON of vines, I hope to see flowers in the next 7-10 days. The cukes are also vining but they are not as vigorous and while growing, are taking their own sweet time. I suspect we'll have cucumbers and will be pickling at the very end of our growing season, sometime in September.

And one of our chickens is very much more mature than the other two and has been showing all the signs of imminent egg-laying (big red comb/wattles, lots of interest in the nest box, practicing the egg bawk noise, etc), which is nice. All 3 of them will be 18 weeks old in 5 days, so it's a bit early but they seem happy, and are very healthy, so if their bodies say it's time to lay, I'm not going to worry about it. The other two aren't nearly as far along as the one Australorp is, but it will come in time.

Next year -- we have finally gotten rid of enough weeds and thistles -- we're going to use one of the shady beds in the front of our house for lettuce. It's just too sunny in the back main veggie bed. Hopefully we can grow lettuce that won't go bitter right away. I hate having to feed our heirloom, expensive, from-seed lettuce to the chickens!

I'm also quite seriously thinking about planting as much garlic as I can stuff somewhere (not sure where) this fall -- for next year. We are garlic lovers in this household and it seems fairly easy to grow. And for all we spend buying the stuff . . .

Oh, and Hubby wants to plant tulips alongside our front steps this fall Apparently he's decided to challenge the fact that I can grow veggie but kill flowers.


Can't wait to start harvesting and eating!



Whitewater

 

[Whitewater]

There's a cucumber flower on one of my cucumber plants! I am so excited about this Just thought I'd share!


Whitewater

 

[lesa]

Isn't that interesting, whitewater? I have been picking cukes for weeks, but only have flowers on the tomatoes- and we are both in zone 4!! Nature is strange! I highly recommend that you plant garlic- it is super easy to grow, harvest and store! And it is much better than grocery store....I love uncovering my garlic row in the early, early spring and finding it growing! It really does the heart good! I bought my garlic from the Maine Potato Lady and High Mowing Seeds- both have organic choices. Happy Gardening!

 

[Whitewater]

I suspect that I've got a ton of microclimates in my yard . . . you, me, and digitS are all having such different experiences, it makes me want to find out why!

It seems very odd to me that you and I, lesa, can both be in zone 4 and have a 180' difference in what's growing and what's not.

I wonder if Steve's raspberries are new, maybe? Ours are officially at least 2 years old, since I planted them last year and they were at least a half season old already when I got them from a friend.

And my veggie garden is technically and literally a HUGE raised bed, o I'm sure my soil is warmer and that probably has a lot to do with things also. Let's see if I can explain my setup. You guys can probably look back at some of my pictures and see what I'm talking about.

The house's yard is a very typical older MidWestern style. There's a yard in front which is mostly lawn, and two beds on either side of the front door which had flowers or bushes in them at one time. When we bought this place in June 2008, EVERYTHING was over-run with weeds, including the front beds.

The back yard is a U shape with the house in the middle. The side door (which leads straight into the kitchen) faces west. The house's front door faces north. The herb garden is immediately to the south of the side door and is directly up against the foundation, so I suspect a microclimate there.

The back yard slopes gently down to the rear fence and part of it extends past the fence. This part ends 5 or 6 feet beyond the fence and is contained in a retaining wall which is approximately 2-2.5' tall. All the soil contained between the fence and the retaining wall is the veggie garden. It gets full sun and extends about halfway -- the long way -- down our property line. There is a gate and some concrete steps, then our 2 car garage, which has white siding and I am sure the white siding also reflects sun onto that part of the raised bed garden.

I really think that the raised veggie bed is the reason for all of the veggies doing so well. I'm sure the soil is warmer, there is absolutely no shade whatsoever so the plants all get a good 8 hours of sun a day if not more, and this year we've been having a TON of rain, and I don't mean just light sprinkles every once in a while. I mean, flooding type downpours. That kind of deep rain on a regular basis isn't something you can recreate. (On the other hand, we have more mushrooms . . . )

So when you combine all of those factors . . . I dunno.

Or maybe it's just beginner's luck!


Whitewater

 

[digitS']

Winter cold, has very little to do with the growing season.

The hardiness zones are determined by low temperatures in the middle of winter. I know that there can be some guesses about things like average day of last and first frosts but there's no accuracy from place to place. The hardiness zone designation is NOT based on anything other than the extreme low temperatures of winter.

Because of the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean waters (about 300 miles from here), winters can be fairly mild. Double digits below zero do not occur every winter. Springs are usually cool and cloudy but then the Cascade Mountains begin to "wall out" the ocean influences and things heat up. Average high temperature for the month of July last year was 85.5F. There were 12 July days in 'o9 with the high temperature above 90!

It was such a cool start to the summer this year I feel like the season may be over before I have a chance to fully appreciate it. By late September, day to night temperature swings are usually 30 and sometimes 40. So, an 79 afternoon can turn into a 39 morning!

Anyway, I have 2 neighbors with raspberries right up to the cultivated gardens - they are invading my space! The parent bushes are within reach and have been there for years. I ate one, tiny pink berry this morning. The 90 degree weather we are having this week should bring them on in a rush!

Steve

 

[Whitewater]

Yesterday I picked our first 2 Anaheim chili peppers, which were about as big as the ones in the store, which I was pleased to see. I also got a handful of carrots, both purple and regular, and Hubby and I munched on them last night. I have found a Spanish recipe for stuffed Anaheim peppers involving just bread, garlic, onions, and cheese, sounds typically Spanish, and yummy! We're going to try it tomorrow, because it takes about an hour to make and eat.

We have 2 jalapenos also up and coming, will probably be ready to pick in the next 2-3 days. All the rest of the peppers are just babies and won't be ready for WEEKS, probably, though the green bell pepper plant is creating babies like MAD and they're growing like MAD too.

Discovered more cucumber flowers and the cucumbers have apparently *had it* with the weeds surrounding them -- they've decided to take over! They're growing like gangbusters and throttling the weeds, LOL. Go cukes!

Beans have vines. Vines have reached the 2 foot and more size. Anybody know when I'm likely to start seeing beans?

One of the Black Beauty zukes is a dud. But the other is growing nicely. Lots of flowers, very few actual zukes. Forget whether these flowers are male or female.

The 1st tomato is yellow. I hope it starts to turn red soon! I am particularly hopeful that the tomatoes from the early hybrids will be ready as soon as we have a bunch of Anaheim and jalapeno peppers, so that we can make salsa. And I have a total of 3 Mr. Stripey tomatoes, all on the plant that *didn't* get damaged by the cold. I am wondering if the damaged plant will EVER bear.

Still haven't gotten around to harvesting dill or sage, I really need to get on that.

We finally have enough mint to make mint jelly. Yay!

The single basil plant that I got to survive is THRIVING, my goodness. I will definitely have enough to make some pesto, which is nice, since that's what I grew it for! Also for using in spaghetti sauce, which I've already done a couple times this season and it was yummy.

And one lone raspberry has made its appearance, after I thought the bushes were done. Also there are a TON of berries (probably enough to make 8 oz of jam) growing wild on a street corner near me, I saw this today while at work. I am going to go out there this weekend and pick them! Since it's obvious nobody else wants them!

Went to my local nursery and they didn't have any Red Lake currant plants though they had a TON of gooseberries and black currants. They said they'd have some more in right about now, I need to call them and check. I still have to clear out a space for the currants, so I suppose it's good they didn't have them right away. I hate cutting down trees. It makes me feel bad to take a life just because I need the space. But we can cut and dry the wood for winter (we have a small wood fireplace) and if nothing else, we can use the small pieces of wood to make outdoor roosts for the chickens, so the tree will get used. And it really needs to go, it's growing right up against the house and I am sure the roots will destroy the foundation.

The hollyhock continues to grow and thrive. Still a pretty pale pink.

I am fighting the good fight against the buckthorn, continually pulling it out whenever I see it. Eventually we'll be buckthorn free.

My best friend came over for a visit (she's getting her PhD in Michigan) a bit back and she -- without me asking her -- went outside one morning when she was awake and I was still sleeping, and pulled all the thistles out of the front yard -- by hand!!! Still can't believe it. The front of our house looks so much better! Every year we get less and less thistles, I hope that next summer we'll be close to thistle free.

I like to go out and sit and watch the chickens for a bit, then go into the garden and take care of the plants, talking to them, doing a bit of weeding, checking the progress, etc. We have a resident wasp (the only one I've seen), and we have reached an understanding. He has never threatened me and I in turn leave him alone. I don't know if wasps pollinate, but he sure likes my veggies!

Speaking of the chickens, they will be 18 weeks old tomorrow, at least, 2 out of the three of them will be. One of the Australorps is lagging waaaay behind the others when it comes to sexual -- i.e., *egg laying* -- maturity, even though she's the biggest one of all. She's HUGE, easily 18" tall at her back without stretching. But she has no wattles or comb to speak of, and she's not showing any of the signs the other two are. I suspect she is younger than they.

Still no eggs, though it should be soon, by the end of the month, I'm guessing.

I didn't get to be out in with my plants as much this week because I had to work, but I'm done with work for a while, so I get to visit my green things as much as I want to now


Whitewater

 

[Whitewater]

Whoops.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose . . .

I killed a bean plant. I was weeding yesterday and doing a very thorough job because I hadn't gotten to it in a while (bad back) and when I was pulling out a bunch of stubborn weeds, I accidentally pulled out a bean plant by its roots.

Uh-oh!

I immediately re-planted it but today it's very wilty (the vine still looks good but all the leaves are just pitiful . . . ), I don't think it's going to survive. If it does it will be a testament to the hardiness of the Blue Lake Pole Bean, and naught to do with me!

At least I have 5 other bean plants, all of whom are thriving (even my little runt!) -- the smallest vine is 2' high! The other three are about to climb over the top of the 4' chain link fence and onto the 3 foot of string trellis!

This is why we plant extra plants. Because sooner or later, if you're like me, you're going to make a costly error. *sigh*

(In other news, the radish seed pods are FINALLY at the stage where I can pull up the plants and let them dry . . . sheesh, took long enough!!!)


Whitewater

 

[digitS']

(In other news, the radish seed pods are FINALLY at the stage where I can pull up the plants and let them dry . . . sheesh, took long enough!!!)


Whitewater

Wait! Are you sure they are mature??

I've had to wait quite late in the summer for mature radish seeds. I'd like to see 1 or 2 pods split before cutting the plant down. It is always a longer wait than I expect.

There was a neighbor who used to grow radish for seed. And, I've got this radish that I feel obligated to keep going since I haven't found it in the catalogs for 20 odd years .

Steve