Gardening: (2016– )

[Jacksoup]

This is likely most of the last squash out of the garden.  It's just been too hot here for anything to really grow.  Had a poor crop of tomatos this year, last year I had my hands full.  It's predicted to be over 100 degrees for at least the next 7 days, 110 on Friday and Saturday, ugh.  I can't remember what the big pale yellow ones are but they are destined for the squash and pistachio crumble from Deep Run Roots.

[Martin Fisher]

I didn't get my zucchini seeds in the ground until July 25th, but, of course, I'm already flooded with zukes! Yesterday, I gave 2 big ones to my neighbor Lori so she can make some zucchini bread—she loves the stuff.

 

I did notice a little powdery mildew on the zuke leaves——so I've sprayed them with some old reconstituted milk powder—something I've done, as needed, off and on for several years. It seems to help if applied early and frequently (especially after rain, a shower or even heavy dew.) IIRC, this is a trick supposedly discovered by Canadian ag researchers many years ago. They found that milk sprayed on barley combated powdery mildew. That's the story, but I haven't found anything concrete to back it up, nor have I dug deeply.

A picture taken last year of my rare little baby perennial seakale plant (not closely related to other kales.) I only have one, but I plan to start more next spring—if I'm not in one of my depressive ruts.

Once the plants reach maturity, the leaves are blanched (deprived of sunlight in early spring) and then eaten.

 

Here's a picture of the same plant almost a year on—I've mulched it a bit with brown cardboard and fresh grass clippings mostly to control weeds:

 

Here's some Welsh onions and some Extrakta sage.

 

Horseradish that I haven't touched yet:

 

And a not so great photo of one of my Hablitzia Tamnoides plants. Knocked down and walked on a bit when the dog was sequestered to the back garden when some work was being done on the house.

Hablitzia Tamnoides is sometimes called Caucasian spinach, which really irks me. It tastes nothing like spinach and shouldn't be be called 'spinach'—that discourages folks who hate spinach from trying it. To my taste, the flavor of the young leaves is much more like lettuce than spinach. It's a perennial edible that everyone—who can—should grow, IMHO. It's a great plant.

 

 

Just a part of my plan to eliminate ALL non-edibles——from my property and replace them with edibles—.

Hopefully with MANY more perennial edibles!

 

 

 

 

[chromedome]

In a similar vein, you might want to give Strawberry Spinach a shot. My father planted it once and never had to again.

The leaves are edible young or mature, and the berries -- while not sweet -- add color and texture to salads. It's quite an interesting plant. 

[Martin Fisher]

41 minutes ago, chromedome said:

In a similar vein, you might want to give Strawberry Spinach a shot. My father planted it once and never had to again.

The leaves are edible young or mature, and the berries -- while not sweet -- add color and texture to salads. It's quite an interesting plant. 

 

Thanks!!!

Just in this small yard there's lamb's quarters, broad-leaf plantain, purslane, dandelion and patience dock..... (sometimes even nettles). None of which I've planted.

Some are perennial, some just re-seed readily as with the strawberry spinach.

 

I've got a bunch of other stuff on the list!

 

 

Edited September 3, 2017 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[chromedome]

Unlike some of the others on that list, strawberry spinach is not especially invasive. It self-seeds reliably, but isn't in a hurry to spread unless you help it along (at least in our climate).

 

[curls]

Not a great tomato harvest but far better than last year's. Last year I had a visiting squirrel that was in love with tomatoes and ate most of my crop.  :-(

 

So, I augmented my harvest by visiting a local pick-your-own farm. They had tons of tomatoes to pick at $1 per pound, delicious raspberries, and some sweet white corn.

[joiei]

This morning in the garden I picked my first harvest of pole beans, planted from seed 2 months ago.  Some poblanos and lots more on the way.  And enough arugula to make a salad to go with those pole beans at dinner time.  I also helped a fellow gardener out by pruning their tomato plant of all the dead leaves. Tomorrow I will give that tomato plant a little drink of Epsom salts to give it a boost for fall production.  Waiting patiently for the blackberry to ripen.  

[chromedome]

I guess this is more farming than gardening, but it's an interesting read.

 

 

[Martin Fisher]

On 9/3/2017 at 5:39 AM, chromedome said:

In a similar vein, you might want to give Strawberry Spinach a shot. My father planted it once and never had to again.

The leaves are edible young or mature, and the berries -- while not sweet -- add color and texture to salads. It's quite an interesting plant. 

 

Thanks!

I've known about it for years but I've never grown it and I don't know anyone else who's grown it locally.

I'm adding it to the 2018 list. 

[heidih]

I am fascinated by the perennial vegetables - perhaps someone could keep a list and we can warehouse it somewhere on the site?

[dcarch]

20 minutes ago, heidih said:

I am fascinated by the perennial vegetables - perhaps someone could keep a list and we can warehouse it somewhere on the site?

 

In LA? Everything is perennial. 

Amaranth is semi-perennial. It comes back every year from self-seeding.

 

dcarch

 

 

 

[heidih]

My reaction to assembling a list was based on the plants being ones we as backyard growers might not have considered or known about.

[dcarch]

Artichokes and tomatoes can be perennials in LA, but not in NY. 

I think all edible weeds in NY are perennials. You can never get rid of them. :-(

 

dcarch

[KennethT]

Tomatoes can't really be perennial, no matter the location.  Indeterminate tomatoes will live and keep growing so long as there is no frost - but after about month 10 or 11, will be come less and less productive.  Determinate tomatoes have a specific life cycle - they grow vegetatively, then flower, fruit and finally die - regardless of temperature - they usually transition from vegetative growth to flowering depending on hours of daylight (or darkness).  This is why commercial growers in greenhouses grow indeterminate tomatoes since they will be productive for almost a year before they need replacing.

[Martin Fisher]

'Perennial' can be an arbitrary term in some ways, especially taking into account micro-climates and such.

As an example, true tarragon is considered a hardy perennial here, but in some winters in may not survive without special protection.

 

On 9/8/2017 at 3:29 PM, heidih said:

I am fascinated by the perennial vegetables - perhaps someone could keep a list and we can warehouse it somewhere on the site?

 

Cool idea! 

This is an interesting book: Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles, by Eric Toensmeier

And another one written by Stephen Barstow, who runs our Hablitzia Tamnoides group on Facebook: Around the World in 80 Plants.

Stephen Barstow's blog: http://www.edimentals.com/blog/

The Plants for a Future website is very useful—7000+ edible, medicinal and useful plants.

I just noticed that they have some books in their bookstore that I haven't read yet.

 

Something that totally baffles me given all the attention that climate change and hunger get—why aren't there armies of volunteers out planting perennial edibles (many of them ARE well known.)

Don't just talk the talk—walk the walk....this is just my opinion, it isn't intended to be specifically directed at anyone or any particular group.

Billions of plants could be planted.

There are perennial edibles that could/would sequester carbon—mulberry trees grow faster than heck!!!

There are millions of acres along interstates and the like where stuff like that could be safely planted.

Other areas too!

 

Anyway.

I'm doing what I can do in my tiny part of the world.

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[gfweb]

@DiggingDogFarm You might epoxy a brace that runs the length of the side that you don't use.

[Martin Fisher]

Just now, gfweb said:

@DiggingDogFarm You might epoxy a brace that runs the length of the side that you don't use.

 

That's an interesting idea!

Thanks!

[kayb]

7 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

'Perennial' can be an arbitrary term in some ways, especially taking into account micro-climates and such.

As an example, true tarragon is considered a hardy perennial here, but in some winters in may not survive without special protection.

 

 

Cool idea! 

This is an interesting book: Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles, by Eric Toensmeier

And another one written by Stephen Barstow, who runs our Hablitzia Tamnoides group on Facebook: Around the World in 80 Plants.

Stephen Barstow's blog: http://www.edimentals.com/blog/

The Plants for a Future website is very useful—7000+ edible, medicinal and useful plants.

I just noticed that they have some books in their bookstore that I haven't read yet.

 

Something that totally baffles me given all the attention that climate change and hunger get—why aren't there armies of volunteers out planting perennial edibles (many of them ARE well known.)

Don't just talk the talk—walk the walk....this is just my opinion, it isn't intended to be specifically directed at anyone or any particular group.

Billions of plants could be planted.

There are perennial edibles that could/would sequester carbon—mulberry trees grow faster than heck!!!

There are millions of acres along interstates and the like where stuff like that could be safely planted.

Other areas too!

 

Anyway.

I'm doing what I can go in my tiny part of the world.

 

 

 

All you can do is all you can do.

 

[KennethT]

My yu choi is going crazy! I harvested it down to only a few sprigs just last week...

[KennethT]

Gotta harvest a lime...

[KennethT]

More pickage...

[helenjp]

Strawberry Spinach - that's a relative of Lamb's Quarters/Fat Hen.

Although in Japan it seems to die back in winter, I think Tetragon (warrigal greens) is a real southern hemisphere perennial vegetable if ever there were one. The stems can be very fibrous, so I just use the leaves and tips, but it grows everywhere, and insects rarely do more than nibble. I have it growing in a very narrow, dry strip of dirt running along the shady side of my house. It's less than 30 cm wide, in a trench between the concrete foundations of the house and a concrete retaining wall, and beneath it run all the plumbing and gas pipes. It's so dry that even geraniums struggle for a toe-hold, but rosemary and tetragon are quite undaunted.

While not perennial, I love Malabar Spinach (basella alba) for similar reasons. It is one of those slightly slimy Asian greens that are considered cooling in summer. It self seeds yearly and thrives on neglect. Between the two, there are always enough green vegetables in my sad little garden to pad out a lunch box.

[Okanagancook]

Spent ANOTHER half day in the kitchen processing garden produce.  Two lbs tomatillos gifted from a friend made into fresh salsa and the other half a pablano, tomatillo sauce for shredded chicken.  Seven cups of tomato purée, no seeds or skins.  Nine small pkgs of homemade chipotles in adobo sauce.  Eight cups grated zucchini for the freezer.  Eight steamed potatoes in the IP for this week to eat.  

 

I have a plethora of jalapenos.  Any ideas what to do with them.

[Shelby]

14 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Spent ANOTHER half day in the kitchen processing garden produce.  Two lbs tomatillos gifted from a friend made into fresh salsa and the other half a pablano, tomatillo sauce for shredded chicken.  Seven cups of tomato purée, no seeds or skins.  Nine small pkgs of homemade chipotles in adobo sauce.  Eight cups grated zucchini for the freezer.  Eight steamed potatoes in the IP for this week to eat.  

 

I have a plethora of jalapenos.  Any ideas what to do with them.

I had pounds and pounds of jalapeños last summer.  

 

Here is a list of what I did--if any of them trip your trigger I'll send you the links to recipes--and these are all things I've canned..

 

Cowboy jalapeños--these are candied-super good on ribs

Jalapeno mustard--LOVE this --probably the best thing I came up with last year.  Great on burgers and sandwiches

Pickled-always a fave--great on pizza

Jelly---I made a cranberry-jalapeno and also just a jalapeño 

 

 

[dcarch]

On 9/10/2017 at 7:25 PM, KennethT said:

More pickage...

what is it?

 

dcarch