Veggie Garden Update August 5, 2011

With the crazy weather we are having this year it is amazing that almost everything is pretty much on schedule. Big exception is my peach, sad story that requires its own post.

The yellow and green bush beans are done and will be pulled out next week. I am not sure if I will grow them next year since the Chinese Yard Long beans taste better and are a lot easier to pick. I think that I have planted way too many for our own use. Looks like I will be freezing some. Despite the overabundance of long green beans I have replanted snow peas for a fall crop as well as Amish Snap peas, new one for me. Since Ferdzy of Seasonal Ontario Food had such a positive post on this particular variety I had to try them.

Same story with tomatoes, I have planted way too many plants and a variety that realistically can be used only fresh.  We have tried freezing the cherry tomatoes but it was a waste of time and energy. Huge surprise for me was paste tomato Margherita. Last week I had a big bunch on that one plant mature at the same time; nice, heavy, bright red fruits. About the same number of the fruits  were still green and at least 2 weeks from being ready for harvest. This morning they are on orange side and I have noticed new set of flowers at top of the plant. I have no idea what this variety is: is it determinate, semi-determinate or indeterminate? Anyway, at least I don’t have to pick just few each day. Back to why this tomato was a surprise: they make most fantastic, thick sauce. I have ended up with almost consistency of tomato paste! Not only that, but the taste! So deep and, well, tomato-y (?). I can’t wait to toss the sauce with my fresh pasta! I planted only one plant this spring but next year I’m looking at 3 or 4 Margherita plants and only 2 salad tomatoes, 1 Mountain Magic and 1 Sweet Baby Girl. Cucumbers were another first for me this year and also nice surprise. They are done so I’ll be pulling out the vines same day as beans, there are just few very small and dark cukes. I have enough pickles in jars for us so next year I will plant the same number of plants and in the same container.

Eggplants are another story of way too many for us but at least I can grill them and freeze them. I have 3 plants, all grown in containers, and all 3 are very productive. Variety is Gretel, slender white Oriental type eggplant. Next year I will grow only one of each: white and purple Japanese eggplants, variety to be determined later.

Peppers are doing great as well but I’m not sure if it is worth it to grow them in my very small garden. I can get them really cheap at any Amish roadside stand, very fresh and organic. Same goes for many other vegetables and fruits.

It looks like that plan form my next year veggie garden is well under way! Flower garden is another story, though. That is my next post.

This is part of harvest over 2 days from my tiny garden. It is way more then we can use fresh.

Veggie Garden Update July 26, 2011

Cucumbers

This is my first year growing my own cucumbers and to say that I am surprised how fast they grow from flower to mature fruit is understatement. Because of space restrictions in our garden I have decided to grow them (3 plants) in large container on a trellis.  I also grow peppers (2 kinds), eggplants and tomatoes in containers and all are doing very well. Cukes, however, are huge surprise. I knew that my tomatoes will be super-productive but I didn’t expect cucumbers to be the same. City slicker’s ignorance, I guess J.

Here are pictures taken of same cuke taken over span of 4 days. It doubled in volume every day. Another plant that will be grown next year.

And, of course, with so many cucumbers harvested daily I had to start pickling them. After wading through dozens of recipes on Internet I have decided to use Ferdzy’s recipe for “Dill Pickles by the Jar”  published on her blog Seasonal Ontario Food. Now I have to wait 6 weeks to taste the results. What was interesting how fast the cucumber skin turned khaki green from bright green once I poured hot pickling brine in the jars.

Eggplants

The eggplant seeds I bought were for eggplant Gretel (there is also Hansel J) that is white and elongated. Even though I did pick few I haven’t cooked them yet. I did taste them raw and there are no seeds to speak of and not a trace of bitterness, exactly what I am looking for in eggplants.

I did have one nasty surprise, though: Green part at top of fruit has thorns like cactus but almost invisible and when I touched it, it was almost like an electric shock. Next time I harvest with leather gloves. I’ll cook some with garlic and olive oil and use it as one of the toppings for grilled pizza I will make tonight.

Nasty thorns.

Chinese Yard Long Beans

Yup, they are almost a yard long now and growing like crazy. What a great bean this is! The beans are about the size of pencil and no string, no tough parts, just a nice sweet bean that I eat raw when I pick them.  They are best when briefly stir fried with ginger, garlic and chilies. Also, they are very productive and I will harvest right to the first frost. I did last year

Tomatoes

Margherita, which is a paste San Marzano type tomato is finely getting mature and red and I will pick first batch tomorrow. When I bought the seeds I didn’t realize that this hybrid is determinate, meaning that all tomatoes mature at same time. However, as you can see on picture some are ready to harvest and others are completely green. What gives? Is there something between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes? I must have missed something. Oh, well, I’ll be freezing them, I guess and make sauce later as needed.

Mountain Magic tomatoes are doing just fine.

.Peppers

I have three kinds of peppers this year: Green to Red, Sweet Pimento and Red Cubana type peppers whose seeds I collected from Mexican peppers sold in big box store. The flesh was so red and thick that I just had to have the seeds. I grew them last year and they were very good. Not as sweet as original but still very good. Conditions for growing peppers in Mexico and Ontario, Canada are a wee bit different, I think J.

The Green-to-Red were first peppers I harvested about  3 weeks ago and yes, they were red already! Amazing!

Sweet Pimento is just few days from first harvest so no idea about the taste and how thick the flesh is.

Mexican Peppers

Turban Squash

I almost forgot about Turban squash because it is not one of my food crops but Marjo’s pet project that I take care of. It stopped dropping flowers and undeveloped fruits and now I can see decent size squash and a tiny brother/sister. I have noticed that lots of ants were inside some fully opened flowers and that later same flower got sort of choked at stem and then dropped of cleanly like somebody tied a rope around it. Since this was a tobacco field, ants are everywhere in garden! This will be one interesting experiment that Marjo started back in March. We will see when fall comes.

Besides radishes, Daikon and herbs that’s about all I grow this year. Garlic report will be posted next.

Veggie Garden Update June 8th

Now that we finally got some extended periods of warm days and nights the garden really came to life. Unfortunately, with hot humid days came storms and some plants got damaged. My largest tomato plant Mountain Magic lost a big branch that had about dozen tomatoes on it. Now I know that I should have staked it few days ago.

Left side was broken off by storm.

We should be eating our tomatoes soon.

Peppers are quite small but some have large fruits for their size. I have never grown this variety before (Green to Red from Johnny’s Seeds) so I have no idea what to expect.

Snow Peas are in flower and growing well.

This year I have planted 3 kinds of beans (clockwise from top):

Yard Long Chinese (excellent flavor and no strings)

French String-less Green (very sweet flavor)

Yellow Bush Beans (first year)

In center are 3 plants of Sweet Red Banana Peppers (thick flesh and excellent flavor)

My Hardneck Garlic is doing very well and Music and Irkutsk varieties started to have scapes and by next week it will look like a field of little piggy tails. I am amazed how long scapes alone or in pesto last in refrigerator. Last year even after 4 months later they were tasting just like freshly picked.

Tomatoes, Basil and in front of raised bed are radishes (Japanese White, not Daikon)



Final Vegetable Seedlings Update

The vegetable garden is planted and doing fine. Some tomato plants already have a fruits size of a pea and peppers are fruiting as well, just a bit smaller. Last 2 days was quite cold, high of 7 °C, and raining non-stop for over 48 hours. Not too good for hot weather loving peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Peas are growing nicely and so does garlic and all the herbs. Last week I have planted seeds for yard long Chinese beans and yellow bush beans but no sign of sprouts, too early I think. I already have second harvest ready patch of Arugula and Mizuno greens as well as bunching onions that grew in my cold frame through whole winter. They were planted last November.

Note: Big Thank You has to go to Marjo for transplanting most of the seedlings into pots, baskets and ground. I did the tomatoes and banana peppers, that’s all.

Tomatoes Montain Magic, Sweet Baby Girl and Margharita.

(L-R) Lemon Grass, Pimento and Red to Green Peppers (clay pots and boxes), tomato Mountain Magic and Eggplants Gretel.

Red Banana Peppers and trellises for Yard long Beans (top) and Yellow Bush Beans.

Snow Peas.

Mizuno & Arugula greens, bunching onions.

Garlic and French Chives, Parsley, red-Green Scallions in bed.

Thai Basil, Rosemary, French Tarragon,Marjoram and Bay Laurel in pots.

Cosmos at bottom, French Tarragon and in the back my garlic strip.

Final Flower Seedlings Update

All the flower and vegetable seedlings have been planted and now we finally have our house back! In late winter I have lost my basement workshop bench because that was the only place that had fluorescent fixtures above table/bench. Then in spring when plants were moved to sunroom we have lost use of our favorite dining spot and finally, when plants were being hardened off they took over our deck. It was quite an experience! In retrospect, I think that I have over done it a bit this season. I started way too many plants under lights, way too many. Lesson learned and I hope that I will remember next winter. All we have to do now is to keep the weeds out and feed the plants. Watering is not a problem since I have fully automatic irrigation system on all flower and veggie beds as well as all hanging baskets and most containers as well.

Now is the time to enjoy our gardens.

Next update will be Flower and Vegetable Garden Update in about two weeks.

Note: Big Thank You has to go to Marjo for transplanting most the seedlings into pots, baskets and ground. I did the tomatoes and some peppers, that’s all.

 

Most containers and hanging baskets are on or close to south side of our walkway. Front containers have a mix of Black Eyed Susan Vine, Nasturtium and Lobelia.

On porch stairs are planters with Zinnia, Snapdragon Rocket, Lobelia, Petunias, Nasturtium and BESV. Large green container in front has a Jasmine Scented Nicotiana.

Island in front of porch has containers with Red Millet, Snapdragon Rocket, Petunias and later today we will plant Dahlias.

Hanging basket on left has Snapdragon Lampion mix only and right basket has Lobelia, Nasturtium and BESV.

Seedlings and Garden Update, May 4th, 2011

Hanging Baskets

All the plants inside sunroom are growing so fast! I am hoping for warmer weather so I can plant them in their final container or in the ground but it has been so wet and cold last few weeks that I couldn’t even take some of them out for few hours to acclimatize them to wind and sun. It has been the worst spring that I have seen in last 45 years. At least we don’t have floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, bush fires or tornadoes even though last week we had winds gusting to 100km/h. It was so strong that house shook in its foundation. Not a nice feeling.

In the garden the birds are raising their families at incredible pace. I have never observed so many birds building nests in our 3 spruce trees. It is amazing that Grackles are nesting in same tree as House Sparrows, Chipping Sparrow and Mourning Dove. It is also interesting to see Grackles defend the tree from American Crows when they come close to the tree.

Yes, it is a very busy time for birds and before we know it, we will be busy outside as well. Let us hope.



Zinnias and Snapdragons



French Tarragon



Garlic

Herb Patch

Snow Peas

Looks like Spring, but...

Seedlings Update, April 6, 2011

What a crazy and weird spring, if you can call it that, we are having this year. I want some of that Global Warming back and pronto. Some of my seedling flowers are blooming (both Snapdragons and Zinnia), one variety of tomato (Mountain Magic from Johnny’s Seeds) is ready to be planted into a bigger pot or even ground and right now we are having small snow blizzard going on! Looks like I will have to bring another table into our sunroom because lot of the plants will have to be transferred into larger container.

Snapdragons only basket.

Check the 3 nipped tips of snapdragons (pointed long leaves)

I have already done two hanging baskets – one with Snapdragon Lampion seedlings only and one with 4 Lobelias and 3 Snapdragons. Snapdragons are actually cuttings as I saved the snipped tops, dipped them in growing hormone powder and chuck them in the basket. They are doing fantastic and look just like ordinary seedlings.

Nasturtium, Lobelia, Cosmos and Snapdragons.

Red Pearl Millet, Thunbergia, Cosmos, Petunia and Zinnia.

 Zinnia in bloom.

 Snapdragon in bloom.

 Nothing leggy about these tomato plants.

Eggplants on left and three variety of peppers.

I need a miracle in order not to lose any of my plants. On the bright side, I am learning!

And, how can I forget our beautiful Bougainvillea! Only 4 leaves and rest is flowers.