Thursday, September 9, 2010

The 2010 Veggie Report

I haven’t talked much about the vegetable garden this year because there is so little to talk about. The long, wet, cool spring got things off to a slow start, although it was great for the sugar snap peas, the tomato plants just look so pathetic!Unless we have a sunny warm September and October this will go down as my worst tomato crop ever, I guess I need to start researching recipes for green tomatoes. Although we don’t even have very many of those.
In a strange turn of events this is the best year ever for my basil plants. I’ve never experienced such basil riches. If I just had a few ripe tomatoes to go with the basil I’d be in heaven.
I’ve learned that it is simply hopeless to grow tomatoes in the same large pot with the ginger mint. Look at this spindly specimen! Pitiful. Whereas the mint has never been happier.
This was my first year growing Sungold tomatoes and I had such hopes. Next year I’ll try them again but in a different location.
The peppers are looking good. I think growing them in a black container really helps boost the soil temperature and give the plant a little burst of heat, even when the air temperatures aren’t so hot.
This will be the first year I harvest fresh horseradish. I am very excited to see what’s hiding under the gravel. If there is a decent harvest I’ll post pictures along with my recipe for horseradish crusted salmon….it’s so good!
And the carrots. They are supposed to be baby carrots but it has taken them forever to achieve even this size. Still…they are on their way, and fresh carrots are so tasty. A bonus…I won’t have to cut them up before I mix them in a salad!
I had a few seeds left over so I’ve even sown another crop, hopefully we’ll be enjoying carrots in November. Hey….it could happen!
Cucumbers. Oh the cucumbers. While there are still a few left to harvest, the plants have begun to look like hell. This is definitely one of those plants that can go from gorgeous to hideous in just a few days.
I hope to tear these out and plant a fall crop; I know it’s technically a little late for that but hope for a long sunny fall springs eternal around here. Do you have any favorite fall veggies?

10 comments:

  1. Loree, all but the hardest, greenest tomatoes can be harvested before the first frost and stored in a cool, bright place to ripen. (They really do ripen - even turning red and very tasty!) I sometimes leave them on the vine so I can hang them but other times, just take individual tomatoes off and set them on a drafty north windowsill. It takes several weeks and you can speed things by putting an apple (I think) in a bag with some of the tomatoes.

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  2. Aw, sorry about your tomatoes, not having much luck down here either :/ And oh mint, that savage delicious little bugger. It refuses to share any space and yet I love it... Those are some fine looking peppers too!
    Are you going to let the basil flower for the bees before frost hits?

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  3. I love photos of veggie gardens. I think it's so amzing that the plant creates a fruit that is so complex, and best of all we can eat it. great pics.

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  4. Well that basil ( my favourite herb) looks great and can be used for lots of yummy pesto. How about some fall salad greens-lettuces, arugula etc.?

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  5. I am hearing the tomato woes all over. Even my Dad who grows them every year had a bad year. Weird. Love the peppers and carrots. Can't wait for the horseradish salmon.

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  6. kate, thanks! I did this last year with a good success rate. I've never thought of cutting vine and hanging them though, I really like that idea!

    Mary C, no...before frost (hopefully MONTHS away) I'll pick everything I have (basil-wise) and dry it. The bees can just enjoy the sedum flowers!

    Evelyn, good point.

    Nicole, I've been looking for arugula seeds and haven't found any. I LOVE the spicy flavor. Maybe I need to look harder.

    Candy, I'll do my best to deliver on the salmon promise...

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  7. Here are my sources for arugula seeds: Johnny's seeds, Botanical interest sylvetta:
    http://www.botanicalinterests.com/store/search_results_detail.php?seedtype=V&seedid=590
    ( love this sharp, wild variety) and Seeds of Change.
    I normally buy 1 oz packs and keep it in the fridge to sow every few months as arugula is my favourite salad green.

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  8. I just posted "Short Summer, Green Tomatoes: here's how to get 'em ripe" on Plantworking:

    http://www.plantworking.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-tomato-ripening

    Many experienced gardeners may be familiar with these techniques, but they kept me in ripe tomatoes through December last year. And I'm finding it is really helping with the tomatoes still ripening now.

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  9. Nicole, thank you for the links! Arugula is great on sandwiches too!

    Jade, I can use all the help I can get, thank you! I did break down and buy some 'sun-gold' at the farmers market yesterday.

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  10. Hi Loree, I can buy 'Sungold' tomatoes from the farmers' market and they're delish but do you think I can grow them to taste good? I'm doing something wrong. I've had a little bit of luck with the old standby 'Sweet Million' this year. I think it's the fact that I've got the pot set up against a warm south wall.

    I guess mother nature wants to remind us who's boss. Those baby carrots look so yummy.

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