Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Harvest On The Down Low

Though most of my gardening efforts went into completing the pathways,  pruning and top dressing all of the gardens, our nearly ignored and un-planted vegetable garden did yield a few gems.

This is the first year I was able to harvest the giant garlic for roasting instead of replanting

My very favorite red onions 'Red Zepplin'

A good harvest of Hood River garlic
  I just couldn't bear seeing my parents vegetable garden go unplanted, my late mother always planted the usual tomatoes, peppers and lettuce.  I asked my father if he wouldn't mind if I used it this year and he gladly said yes, as long as I planted a tomato for him.


So here you go Dad, this tomato is for you

I planted a row and and a half of russet and German butterball potatoes

One row of sweetcorn and acorn squash

These cucumbers were such an odd surprise, called White Stallion.  I saved seeds from last year and they are loaded with little cukes.
Here is a good comparison


A very hardy row of turnips

13 comments:

  1. Any tips on growing those wonderful garlic? We are planning to grow garlic on the allotment next year.

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    1. Garlic is a very rewarding crop, not only for the kitchen but a very healthy food as well. We plant the first week of November and usually harvest in July when the leaves yellow and begin to wither. I use a multi pronged dibble when planting because it spaces them 6 inches apart and in a nice straight row. Check out my post from June 7, 2013 titled “Another Visit to The Red Pig”. My dibble is going too pictured and written about by a local garden book author….Oh I hope John behaves himself with that last statement.

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    2. Thanks Doc, I have noted it down. Have a good weekend.

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  2. Great harvest Doc! I had good success with my onions and garlic this year, too. I guess they like the heat.

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  3. All my favorites! I wish I could still manage a vegetable garden. Turnips. Garlic. Taties. I'm not looking at your garden any more. Except, good job. Well done.

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    1. I have to admit that sometimes going to the grocers is a lot less trouble than growing a garden, but I have already planned out next year’s….and so it goes.

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  4. Replies
    1. It has been such an early summer in this area that we have started getting produce much earlier.

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  5. I've never had much luck with garlic, so have stopped trying. My red onions (Red Baron), however, are wonderful, and should see me through the winter.

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    1. Cro, I never had luck either until I realized you plant the damn things practically in the dead of winter. You should try again as France is good garlic country. We plant first week in November, keep the rows clear of weeds, in the spring when they start more rapid growth I fertilize with fish emulsion fertilizer just to give them a boost and last but very important the removal of the garlic scapes. Scapes are the curly tops that pop out soon to become the flower heads. These need to be popped off because they keep the garlic bulbs from enlarging and also if left will go to seed and one will then have thousands of very small garlic growing everyplace including walkways.

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  6. Mmm, giant roasted garlic - my mouth is watering! I shall plant some this autumn and hope for success next year.
    Hope your Pop enjoys his tomato!

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    1. Mine as well, as I have had to resist eating any untill the crops second yield. I think this calls for some rustic bread and a glass of wine.

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