Succession Planting

[momofdrew]

LOL Steve and I thought I had gardening woes...LOL.....

 

[digitS']

I am working my way thru the potato patch, harvesting and getting those beds ready for Asian greens. The sweet onions will be ready for harvest in another week or so and that space will also be available. I've pulled out my packets of seeds and will begin sowing seeds for the greens after the soil has settled a little.

I've pulled this off before altho' and there's enuf variety to keep me happy but I can't help but add to it a little . Here's what is ready to go:

What I'm most looking forward to is Komatsuna Summerfest. The plants are just as tender and nice early in the season but they bolt quickly. They won't have that problem in the fall. I've only planted it in the spring but Choy Sum is something you want to bolt because, like broccoli, the stalk and flower buds are valued. Still, the leaves are tasty too - if it decides not to develop flowers. There's also a chance that Choy Sum can overwinter and I just might allow it to do so.

I grew Beka Santoh for the first time this spring. It is supposed to be a "loose head Chinese cabbage," as is Fun Jen, which I've had in my garden for about the last 5 years. This fall will be my chance to grow them side-by-side and see how much difference there is between the 2. Honestly, they are very much like tender mustards.

The greatest number of square feet in my former potato patch will be taken up with baby bok choy. For over 20 years, I've grown bok choy and found times for sowing and harvest throughout nearly all of the growing season. I've got both green stem (2 varieties) and Red Choi.

Steve
looking back at that picture of the late zucchini from 2 weeks ago - amazing how fast those things grow! since the early zucchini had to contend with such cool june weather, the july plants have nearly caught up.

 

[Neko-Chan]

Great pictures!

I've been doing all kinds of research on succession planting, but for the life of me, I just can't get organized enough to actually plant things that way. I'm such a haphazard gardener! XD

 

[digitS']

Here is a picture I took last year. It gives you an idea of what I'm up to in the potato patch, Neko-Chan:

cellphone picture

The Asian greens are at different heights because the potatoes in those sections of the bed were harvested at different times. After pulling the spuds out, each section is refilled and, after the soil settles for a few days, seed is sown.

There may be 3 weeks difference in the age of the plants between the section nearest the camera and the one furthest away.

Steve

edited to show:

Here is some of the bok choy from that bed that I had just transplanted to another location in the garden. (That is some foxtail millet growing in the background. I've got it in the same place this year - not much of a birdseed crop the last few years .)

 

[Neko-Chan]

It looks very good. I see you have your onions (or garlic) planted around the edges. Do they do a good job keeping pests away for you?

That reminds me, I have Baby Bok Choy to sow as well. And that my potatoes need to be set out to chit for a while. (Well, at least removed fro mthe bag they're in; they're chitting just fine I think!)

 

[digitS']

Onions go in lots of places where there is room for them. After all, they don't take up much room.

I'm not trying to ward off pests.

Just companion planting, I guess.

Steve

 

[Neko-Chan]

And that's good too.

 

[digitS']

Here they come!

Nearest the camera on the left is Komatsuna. Continuing out in that row is either Choy Sum or Yu Choy Sum. One is a smaller version of the other so, I'll figure it out eventually .

Next are rows of Beka Santoh and then Fun Jen. I've never grown them at the same time. Altho' I've had Fun Jen in the garden for a few years, this was the first spring with Beka Santoh. Beka and Jen both seem to be very mild mustard greens. I DO know which is planted where so I can compare and contrast . .

The little red plants yonder are Red Choy. Red Choy is good and will go with the green bok choy I have planted elsewhere. I put down new seed for green Lu Lan bok choy and Astro arugula today.

Elsewhere on part of what was potato patch ground, tiny South Sea Gai Lan have emerged. At least, this is supposed to be gai lan but it wasn't like the gai lan that I've grown before when I had it under plastic in the spring of 2010. The leaves were nearly as large as cabbage leaves! The flavor was quite a bit like cabbage also for this "Chinese Kale." Maybe, "Chinese Collards" would be more accurate to describe this veggie. I'm curious as to whether it can grow as well outdoors during the fall.

All fun Asian greens, each - a little different from the other. The arugula? Oh, DW asked for that . I don't really care for arugula.

The potatoes are now nearly one-half harvested. I think I'd better stop with the sowing of seed and just plan on doing a fair amount of transplanting into the remaining ground as it becomes available. Oh and the open ground where onions had been growing earlier - that has radish seedlings in it. Along with the lettuce starts that have just been set out, I should have the fixin's for some nice fall salads - if I can keep that arugula out of them!

Steve
notice the volunteer tomato plants in the picture?

 

[digitS']

This isn't following the potatoes. They are following some nice Sterling White onions!

Set out amongst the maturing and now harvested onions several weeks ago. Lettuce!

Steve

edited to lighten that photo . . . i think i should have left it the way it was . . .

 

[digitS']

Here are some of those onions:

S'