our fall garden

[so lucky]

If the potatoes that I buy to eat are treated, it sure isn't doing a very good job, because they usually start to sprout way before I get them used up.

 

[majorcatfish]

checked the weather this morning looks like we are in for some rain today/tonight and the temps are going to be in the upper 40's to low 50's next 2 days, so decided to uncover everyone so they can enjoy some sunlight and fresh air of course do some weeding/pruning.
it's really getting sparse out there but there are still many good veggies out there for a dinner.

finally picked the rest of the brussel sprouts and pulled a couple carrots even found a couple yellow to boot. might go back out and pick a couple beets to top off tonights roasted veggies tonights dinner.

even had a wow surprize the bibb lettuce that was picked just before the big freeze has started to regenerate new leafs. figured with the temps at night being in the mid 20's they would have been goners ..

looks like we waited too long for monday nights beef and toy choi soup. they have gone to flower... guess we can still harvest them and pick the better ones.

so ready to get 2015 gardens going.......

 

[thistlebloom]

Does the bok choy get bitter when it goes to seed major?

 

[majorcatfish]

Um do not know..... Never have let grown this long or in the middle of winter.

 

[majorcatfish]

@thistlebloom you asked if the toy choi was bitter once it started to go to seed, last weekend we did the bok choi and chicken. pulled a couple leafs off yes it had a off taste to them, so they were tossed over the fence but something like them half gone the following morning.
but did pick 2 heads of the black summer bok choi, after going though numerous below 20's nights they were very good in the dish... they did have a heavier mustard taste too them...
the beef and toy choi soup is being turned into beef stew tonight....

 

[digitS']

@majorcatfish , I was surprised to find how tender my slow-growing Asian greens are under plastic. The ones in the greenhouse have been there eons!

I've never tried covering and uncovering in the open garden. I'd imagine that direct sunlight would alter things in the leaves.

The flowering stems of some of these varieties may or may not be acceptable (preferred) for the kitchen. It takes sampling. Broccoli and its sisters Broccoli Raab & Gailan (brother, Guy Lon ) should be okay. Choy Sum should be okay. Its sister, Bok Choy, maybe yes, maybe no.

Steve

 

[majorcatfish]

@digitS' just thinking out loud i would think that growing anything in a "greenhouse" heated or not you would have a little better control than using a low hoop system
in a greenhouse the ground inside you would have a little more control compared to a hoop system on a raised bed. like i have said before being the first year doing this we are on a learning curve and we have been very impressed. would like to build a larger system that would cover 2-3 beds that you could stand up in and able to take down in the spring..

 

[Mauldintiger]

Major, don't you dig the soil out of your entire potato bed one-half shovelful at a time - standing in the trench and scrutinizing every cubic inch in an attempt to locate every delectable spud?? You don't do this at a rate of 6 to 8 plants each week so that it takes you a month to cover 100 square feet of high-value garden real estate?

If you report how many pounds you harvest on TEG, you will! I seldom miss any - the Purple Majesties were an exception.

I have deliberately planted in late July, thinking I might get 2 crops in one year. Abysmal failure! A few of the plants showed up the next year and I left them growing - to poor results.

You may be able to grow a 2nd crop in your location but it would probably be best not to use spuds from your first crop. By the way, the story on conventional soopermarket potatoes is that the ones available during summer months are virtually all treated to retard sprouting. It isn't just that they are treated in storage but the previous year's potatoes, those intended for long-term storage, are treated in the field before harvesting. I wonder how many months it takes them to shake that off ...

Steve

Here's a tip on the potatoes, buy organic (no anti sprouting treatment) from Fresh Market or Whole Foods put them in a box over a heat vent. In a couple of weeks after they sprout, move them to a cool place(mine are in the garage) and when they turn a greenish tint they are ready to plant. Mine are well sprouted and depending on the weather I may plant here in a few weeks so I can try getting in a second crop. I tried the second crop last year with some shriveled seed potatoes from Colorado, but they did not do very well, hopefully the organic ones will work so that I have a year round source of seed potatoes. Calling for 10* tonight so it may be much more than a few weeks before I plant!

 

[majorcatfish]

this years potatoes will fit into 1 of our 16' raised beds have 16 burbanks, 8 blue, 8 red in a cool dark space till able to turn the soil that might be a couple weeks , once able to plant them probably cover that bed with plastic to give them a bit of protection till it warms up..
with this cold snap -1* tonight will likely lose at least one bed of beets, bok choi. definitely lose what little spinach is out there, since thats the potato area.

 

[majorcatfish]

the feb 26th snowstorm did rake some havoc in the raised beds flattened all the tunnels. will have to either add extra hoops or go to another plan.
have all year to think that one out. straighten all the hoops and recovered, they are calling for freezing rain tonight.

even had time to pull some winter weeds out of them..

of course after repairing and pulling weeds found time to enjoy a february 28th yellow carrot ...
did you know a yellow carrot tastes like a yellow carrot.....

to all my friends north and all points west.....