Harvest Time Is Here

Beets, Kohl Rabi, Peppers, and Radishes!  These are just a few of the vegetables I've been harvesting from my garden.  I have carrots, corn, cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe on the way!  Beets are one of my favorites; I love cooking and eating the greens too!  Things seem to be moving right along.  I'll post more pics as I pick. 

Share here your methods for pest/insect control in your garden!

What is the best insect and pest control remedy that you know of and use in your garden?  Please comment to share.  Thanks!

The Harvesting Begins......

I know it has certainly been a while since I've posted here, but that in no way means I have nothing to report on.  My garden is booming!  In the past month I have harvested various groups of Radishes, about a dozen Beets, and some Kohl Rabi plants; pictures will be posted soon.  As of now, I have growing in my garden:  Acorn Squash, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Kohl Rabi, Parsnip, Peppers (Bell, Anaheim, Cherry), Pumpkin, Radishes, Scallop Summer Squash, Tomatoes, and Watermelon.

I am very impressed with how easy it is to grow Kohl Rabi; I harvested the first plants about a week ago.  Having been the first time I have ever tasted Kohl Rabi, I must say that it is one of my favorites!  I have read that there are many ways to prepare it, but my favorite is to simply cut the stems and leaves off, wash it, and eat it as you would an apple.  The taste is that of the best Cabbage, and the moisture held within the inner flesh of the plant is such a refreshing treat on any hot summer day.  My Cabbage plants, despite my spraying, have been lost to bugs.  The Kohl Rabi, however, has for the most part avoided the insect world; given that, from now on, I will likely grow Kohl Rabi before I do cabbage in my garden.

My first crop of Beets was small, but the Beets still had great flavor and tenderness.  I think the cold spring weather we had this year made it very challenging for some plants to develop.  The last three crops of Radishes I have pulled from the ground have been the best; some were close to two inches in diameter; balanced watering and plenty of sunlight have been the key to getting such great radishes.

I still have seed-sowing to do as I continue to harvest the different crops in my garden, but I will definitely get some pictures up showing you the progress and layout.  Thanks for reading, and let me know how your growing is going!

Garden At 80% Capacity!!! Everything From Beets To Watermelon!!

The past week has been very busy in my garden!  I planted Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Peppers, Pumpkin, Squash, Tomatoes, and Watermelon.  Also, I planted more Radishes, Beets, Cabbage, Onions, and Kohl Rabbi.  I like the concept of container-planting; As I did with a couple of the Radish crops, I sowed Cabbage, Pepper, and Onion seeds in containers.  I want to know how well they do since garden space can be limited.

I harvested Radishes (C) today; they were as big as the last batch.  This year I am trying a Cylindrical Beet as opposed to the traditional Round Beet.  I am trying several new vegetables/types in my garden:  Lemon Cucumbers, White Bush Scallop Squash, and Jelly Bean Hybrid Tomato.  It's amazing to discover all the vegetable varieties.  There are many vegetables I didn't even know existed before I started planting a garden.  It's really rewarding to discover your favorites and learn how to grow them.  Aside from the Radishes, the next harvest I will have will likely be Cabbage; the plants are doing well, but only time will tell.  As soon as I see more sprouts from the seeds I recently sowed, I'll post pictures.  Happy Gardening! 

Growing 'Good' Radishes

Growing satisfactory Radishes is not difficult at all.  No matter what type-there are more than you think- you select to plant, remember that two of the most important things to getting a good crop are:  1. Plant spacing, and 2. Even watering.  To ensure enough space for each Radish, I like to plant seeds 2-3 inches apart and plant rows 8-12 inches apart.  You can start planting Radishes just after the last frost before spring; plant every one and a half weeks for a steady crop until 30 days before the first fall frost.  As for fertilizer, mix an organic mulch with your soil prior to sowing the seeds, as this will promote worm activity (natural fertilizer) and help retain moisture for your crop.  As an alternative to mulch, you might use an all purpose fertilizer, but not too much-Radishes do not require much in the way of fertilizer.  When watering your Radishes, be sure to water evenly; do not let water puddle around your Radishes, or that will result in cracking.  You will also need to make sure your Radishes are getting enough water-unless you like the hot tear-jerking flavor.  Radishes are ready to harvest 25-40 days after planting, depending on the type; it's also important not to wait to harvest your crop with the hopes of obtaining larger Radishes.  Prolonged time in the ground will cause your Radishes to lose their flavor and might cause them to crack and become pithy.  A good size for any Radish is 3/4" - 1 1/2" in diameter; the diameter of a quarter is 15/16 of an inch.  Radishes are a great crop for kids and beginner gardeners.  They are easy and fun to grow and are high in Vitamin C.

'List Of Events' Page Gets Complete Makeover!

Check out the new and improved 'List Of Events' page!  Click on the interactive calendar to see the different Plant and Harvest Dates of the different Fruits and Vegetables.  The calendar will also be updated to show 'Actual' Harvest Dates as opposed to the 'Target' Harvest Dates.

Vegetable Varieties Surfacing!

I've been pretty busy in the garden lately.  Yesterday I harvested Radishes (A); a few of them were about an inch in diameter, but the rest were pretty small.  Their flavor was perfect!  I think the main thing that hindered their size was spacing between plants; to try to isolate what the problem is, I decided to plant Radishes (E) in a 80% potting soil/20% garden soil mix in rectangular planters.  Radishes (B) should be ready for harvest around May 7th.  I'm hoping Radishes (B) will be significantly larger since they have quite a bit more spacing between plants.  I'm convinced also that the colder weather gave Radishes (A) more of a challenge to grow and develop completely.  Another possibility is that my garden soil is high in nitrogen, which isn't necessarily good for radishes.

As for garden activity, I've seen sprouts for the following vegetables in my garden:  Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, and Kohl Rabi.  I'm still waiting on the Onions and Parsnip to sprout, but it will be a while because they have a late harvest.  Today I am planting two Onions (B) in round terra-cotta pots.  They are 12 inch diameter pots, and I will plant one onion in each pot for now.  I am curious to see how well vegetables do in pots and potting soil.  Container gardening/growing can be fun for people of all ages; it can be a great and exciting learning experience for kids.  You can use all sorts of containers!

Now, as for my squirmy post.  A couple of weeks ago, I was out checking my garden progress after work and what I noticed really surprised me.  Worms!  Not the little skinny ones, but I counted at least thirty fat fishing-sized night-crawlers on top of my garden.  I was so pleased to see so many worms had taken a liking to my garden, and here's why - Worms produce natural fertilizer, they aerate the soil, and even help control deadly pathogens and fungal matter in the soil.  They provide so much help for your garden plants.  It made me feel good to see so many worms because last year around this time, my garden was home to so few of our slimy friends.