It’s only been a few weeks since I planted everything, but I’m already starting to harvest. I expect everything to slowly ramp up over the next few weeks until I’m bringing in enough to eat most of the time. Hopefully I’ll have more than enough and be able to store some away for the winter. I’m going to try some canning, pickling, and freezing. Freezing is the easiest, but also the most dependent on modern technology—canned and pickled items can survive a power outage. We have pretty dependable power in B/CS, but we have had it out city-wide for most of a day before.
[caption id=”attachment_120” align=”alignright” width=”225” caption=”Bed 1: the radishes are bursting out of their square!”]
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The arugula was ready to pick almost immediately since I bought it as a seedling. It produces a few leaves each day that I pick and store away for the weekend. That gives me enough each week to do something with—add to a salad or flavor a soup. Picking the arugula stimulates it to grow more.
My radishes have been growing quicker than I expected. I picked one this morning. Quite tastey. Reading up on them, it seems the leaves are good in salads or cooked as greens. I tried the leaves of the radish I picked as a test—a little bitter, but not overwhelming enough to throw them out. I went ahead and picked nine others for use in a salad tomorrow. This thinned the square out a bit so the remaining ones should grow a bit bigger. I also planted a second square this morning so I should have more to harvest in a few weeks.
Several squares haven’t sprouted yet, so I replanted a few. Basil and thyme were complete duds. One cabbage withered away, so I replanted that one. The other is going strong. The dill almost all died—one plant is hanging on and growing—so I planted a few more dill.
We almost had a freeze early this week. I ran out to Home Depot and got some .7 mil plastic drop cloths (they’re hidden away in the paint section) and plant cages. I used to cages to hold the plastic up and used some old lumber from the shed to hold it down along the edges. I also got the tomato cages at the same time since I was starting to need them. I don’t have anything for the beans yet, but I have a few weeks before they get big enough to need support.
[caption id=”attachment_122” align=”alignleft” width=”225” caption=”Bed 2”]
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The sweet marconi ross pepper plant took a beating right after I transplanted it. Something ate all of the leaves off. Fortunately, new leaves are coming out and it looks to have survived.
After taking these photos, I placed mulch around most of the plants that are large enough to be above the mulch. Digging down an inch or so, the soil is moist. The mulch should raise the moisture line a bit and help reduce the frequency of watering. If we get the rain that is in the forecast, we should be doing good.
The spinach, kolh rabi, and other greens look like they should be harvestable in a couple weeks. I’m looking forward to making my lunch each morning by going out and picking what looks good. I’ll be doing a parallel series of posts that discuss the cost of the garden, the value of what I’ve harvested, and how much I’m spending (or not spending) at local markets over the next few months. Hopefully, I’ll see money saved in the end.
Awesome! Very rewarding, isn't it?! When you get to the point you're ready to can, I'd be glad to help. Just let me know.
Heather
@Heather @ SGF
Cool. I remember watching my mom can when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago. A refresher would be very helpful. I also loved just being able to grab a jar of pears (with a bit of green food coloring and a hint of mint) and have that as dessert.