Monday, July 15, 2013

Mid-July Harvest Monday

I honestly don't know how I managed last summer to get my Harvest Monday posts done early in the day. Maybe the weather was better! Right now my early mornings are consumed with garden work because it's just too darned hot and humid to do it later on. I was out there from six to nine this morning doing the chores. I see the beginnings of disease everywhere due to the high humidity we've had non-stop for the past three weeks. But there was a good harvest despite some disappointments and having yet to see even a blush of color on any of the tomatoes. Last year I'd harvested my first one on July 11 and the year before on July 13. No such luck this year and I tell you, it's maddening!
But here is what I did get:
 I harvested my potatoes today! Not a bad amount, but most are still drying out in the garden and tomorrow I will find out how many pounds were grown this year.
 Broccoli heads have all been harvested, but I am getting plenty of side shoots and they are good sized too.
 Another garden surprise: a few raspberries from a stand D. planted years ago but we haven't really taken care of, so they are choked with weeds and the birds get most of them. This is a terrific year for berries (although we dropped the ball with our strawberries; they were riddled with pests) so we even managed to get some of these beauties. The blueberries are just coming in and look like there will be a lot.
 Two days ago I pulled the sugar snap pea vines up, but not before getting another pound and a half of peas. Next to the bowl are my first two cucumbers, some shelling peas, more broccoli and a small bowl of blueberries and raspberries. Also the very first green beans.
 This morning I picked almost four pounds of kale. Five varieties of the stuff. Kale chips perhaps?
 My second zucchini was harvested today. I wonder if there'll be more, given all the problems I'm having with the squash. I also got four more cucumbers, a small handful of green beans and some more broccoli shoots.
 These onions were leftovers from last summer that never grew much and overwintered. I pulled them because I was out of onions and refuse to buy any. This year's onions look wonderful and will be harvested in early August.
 The beet greens are looking sick, so I pulled most of the remaining beets. I have a second and third planting coming along, but I rarely get any bulbs from these. Maybe this year will be the charm.
And last but not least, I have here a bushel of lettuce. It is starting to taste bitter and some of the plants had begun to bolt so were pulled up entirely. I still have a small late planting, so hopefully we will still have some decent salads for another few weeks. It would be nice to have a few fresh tomatoes to go with them, but I had better stop my bellyaching and be grateful for what I have! Head on over to Daphne's Dandelions to see what other gardeners around the country and the globe are showing off for Harvest Monday!

21 comments:

  1. Looks like you've had really good harvest with potatoes, greens, peas and onions! Hope your squash and cucumbers will get better, and I'm jealous of those beets! I have overload of zucchnini but only 2 tiny beets survived. Wish I could trade you for them :)

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    1. Wouldn't a trade be nice Jenny? Cukes are just coming in so they may get better, but oh those squash! What a trial!

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  2. What a great variety in your harvest this week!

    I've begun publishing my Monday Harvest blog post on Sunday nights. Like you, I never seem to find the time on Monday morning! I have to garden early or just before dark, as it's just too hot between 10 and 7.

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    1. You are so right! Somehow it didn't seem to be a problem last summer and my Monday schedule hasn't changed any so I think it has to be the weather! Or I'm keeping up more with the garden chores.

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  3. Your spring harvests look great!

    I understand your frustrations with zucchini and squash, normally I only get 1 or 2 squashes before the vine borers or squash bugs kill off the plants.

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    1. They really can be difficult, can't they? So many pests like to go after them!

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  4. Nice harvest, all things considered. Wish I had a mess of beets like that. I don't worry about beet greens because I grow enough chard to bury me. And kale is great for lots of things besides chips, like Portuguese kale soup and sausage, kale and white beans (our dinner last night and left overs tonight).

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    1. Thanks David! I have made the kale and bean soup and will do so again. My husband loves it.

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  5. I had a couple of years of success with summer squash, then SVB found my garden! I found out what their eggs look like and this morning found them all over the stems. I removed all that I could see, but I still can't be sure if I'll be getting any squash this year. You've got nice looking harvests!

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    1. Thank you! As if I haven't had enough squash trouble, I saw evidence of SVBs today too for the first time in a few years.

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  6. Seems like you are getting quite a few things even with the heat, potatoes, broccoli, peas, cukes, beans and lettuce! Wonderful! It has been so hot and humid here too but I don't get out at 6a.m. and should!! Nancy

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    1. Believe me Nancy, I'd rather not be out that early, but in this heat I've had it by 10. Still have to do the cleaning and processing but at least I can rest in the one room we have ac from time to time.

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  7. Stir-frying the lettuce will take away the bitterness.
    The stems of the beet greens look good, I would discard the leafy parts and cook the stems.

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    1. I've never thought to stir-fry lettuce! Will have to give it a try! I'm not too concerned about the beet greens because earlier in the season I harvested and cooked quite a lot.

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  8. Also a trick that I do for the lettuce is to put it in the refrigerator for a few days and it usually takes care of that problem.

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    1. Oh thanks for that thought Karrie! I'm always sad when the lettuce is gone for the season and we have to resort to buying it!

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  9. Those are some beautiful potatoes! We too are waiting with mouths watering hoping for tomatoes. But we will be another week or so for the first cherries and at least a month for the bigger ones! :(

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    1. Thanks! The potatoes do help me to feel happy about the garden while I wait impatiently for tomatoes to ripen!

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  11. Wonderful harvest. Isn't it nice not to have to buy some things at the store! I love that! Those are some very nice raspberries for being left for the birds! ;) I love my raspberries!

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    1. Yes, I love that too! I try to grow enough to buy very little produce at the store. The raspberries are so delicious, I just wish we had more than a handful!

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