Monday, November 4, 2013

Harvest Monday

With the change in seasons I think I completely missed Harvest Monday last week! October became very busy and it looks like November is getting even busier. The calendar is filling up faster and faster and I am having to squeeze in garden time all while fighting the inevitable desire to curl up on the couch near the woodstove with a good book instead. My two week long cold didn't help any either! Though it was mild, it did sap my energy.  I only have one photo of this week's harvest:
 It is eleven pounds of parsnips that I pulled from the garden today. I decided to bring in all the parsnips because I've been noticing more and more vole activity down there and sure enough, a number of the parsnips had their lower roots nibbled off. I don't want to provide those varmints any excuse to stay around and breed in there!
The parsnips came in all shapes and sizes, from the long cones you hope to get to squat short ones, to some that defy the imagination. Overall, it was a great harvest and the total for the season was around 15 pounds.
Maybe if I can't beat the rodents I should join 'em! My church group had a harvest costume party and this is how I dressed:
There's a tail too, but you can't see it. Thought I'd dress up as a famous cooking rat. Not to be confused with a parsnip-eating vole!
I also harvested Brussels sprouts this week but seem to have forgotten to get a photo of  them. They weren't very large and I believe I had better results with last year's batch despite the fact that I planted what I thought were better varieties.
The harvests have slowed down to near nothing now and I doubt there will be much more this season. What is still growing? Well, Brussels sprouts of course, leeks, kale, some carrots, kohlrabi (there are a few Kossacks bulbing up enough for a meal, but the Kolibri are just leafy),arugula, and tatsoi. Oh, it makes me sad to see the season ending! I'll be posting some thoughts on the 2013 season coming up.
I still have to plant my garlic! Today was a little too chilly for me, but it's supposed to warm up this week, so I hope to get it planted tomorrow or Wednesday. There is still plenty of winterizing to do too.
Now to check up on the other harvesters at Daphne's Dandelions, our gracious Harvest Monday host. I love to see what's going on in the southern hemisphere and dream of spring and summer!
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12 comments:

  1. Annie*s GrannyNovember 4, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    Your parsnips look so good! I just harvested the last of mine today. I got a whopping total of four small ones that were edible. It looks like this batch was planted in an area infested with root knot nematodes :-( I think I'm going to give up trying to grow them in the future, as this year's crop just wasn't worth the trouble it was to plant and grow.

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    1. nutmeg gardenerNovember 4, 2013 at 2:02 PM

      Sorry yours turned out badly Granny! But they do take a lot of space over a long time and if they're not going to be edible, I'd say they wouldn't be worth it.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 4, 2013 at 4:40 PM

    Good looking parsnips, 15 pounds, great harvest. I mulched my parsnip bed today, will harvest as needed until snow is in the forecast then will harvest some and leave some in the ground until spring.

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    1. nutmeg gardenerNovember 4, 2013 at 5:30 PM

      Thank you! I debated leaving mine in the ground too, but the only other year I tried parsnips the voles ate most of them, so I didn't want to take the chance this time around.

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  3. Cozy Thyme CottageNovember 4, 2013 at 6:39 PM

    Nice crop of parsnips! Your Halloween costume idea is cute. I was ready for a garden slow down but not ready to be without the fresh veggies and fruit!! Nancy

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    1. nutmeg gardenerNovember 5, 2013 at 4:33 AM

      Thanks Nancy! I don't mind slowing down either, but I sure miss the green growing things!

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  4. MacNovember 5, 2013 at 4:08 AM

    That's a lot of parsnips, your salad looks so good, have never grown this veg before.

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    1. nutmeg gardenerNovember 5, 2013 at 4:34 AM

      They take a long time to grow Mac, so you need to find room where you don't mind their being there from April until late fall or even winter or the following spring!

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  5. UnknownNovember 5, 2013 at 4:19 AM

    Great success with parsnips! They are beautiful! ~ Rachel, growagoodlife.com

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  6. Daphne GouldNovember 6, 2013 at 3:56 AM

    Lovely parsnips. Too bad they couldn't stay in the ground though. I had voles at my last house but for some reason they never seemed to bother anything in the garden. Here the voles haven't taken hold. We do have about 6 cats that regularly visit the garden, but since my daughter's dog is here now they seem to visit less frequently. Which is both good and bad.

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    1. nutmeg gardenerNovember 6, 2013 at 4:15 AM

      We had a terrible problem with voles a few years ago, they went after everything! They're a little better now, but I do everything I can to keep them at bay. Wish we had a few cats around!

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