We have a better chance of rain over the next few days than South of here, and I'll be back in Atlanta tomorrow. So, I finished prepping my starter beds and planted chard, kale, collards, beets, lettuce, and endive. The snow peas are now 2"-3" tall and we have beautiful chives, parsley, cilantro kale and collards that over-wintered. Dill is reseeding. Next up will be mustard, daikon radishes and turnips. Hopefully the acre of perimeter fence that DH installed will deter the deer when we are away. They have taken to walking onto the deck and eating pansies out of the window boxes!
I'm pooped, wind burned, sun burned and chapped, but another cycle is underway and I'm so grateful to be able to do this (albeit I could use a manicure). What do you have in the ground?
I Worked So Hard Today
Laurel,
You need to come back to Atlanta just to rest! I hope you can keep the deer out. They don't seem to be afraid of anything. When we first moved here, I planted pansies down by the street. They thought it was a buffet especially for them. 4 of them almost ran DH down one morning when he went to get the paper.
I feel like such a slacker after reading your accomplishments. I did pot up some annual salvia today. I only have garlic, onions and some lettuce in the ground. I got tat soi to plant and didn't get to it yet. I have some snap peas that have survived the winter and are finally blooming. Basil, tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse. I hope this warm weather lasts and we only get rain, no frost again.
Becky
Beclu, come visit, even for a day trip! Would love to share garden stuff. BTW, we used to say we were "planting the salad bar" for the deer. Hope the fences help. They are more to keep our dogs in, than the deer out, and are only five feet high. The deer are not a problem when we are here and the dogs are on guard, but if we go back to Atlanta for more than a few days, the damage is terrible. An additional problem has been the poachers that kill and dress out venison on the property and leave the remains. Our dogs have been deathly sick from eating entrails.
Laurel,
We will be sure to come visit, probably take you up on the B&B arrangement sometime this spring. Our schedule revolves around our granddaughter, so we don't plan very far ahead.
Do you start your own tomatoes and peppers? If not, I have a lot started. I'm taking some to the GARU on 4/19, but only a few of those are promised (very few, considering how many plants I have.) I can dmail you a list of what I'm growing.
Becky, I'm really impressed that your snap peas over wintered. I've never tried a Fall planting. Have you done this before? I'll Dmail you tonight re: other stuff.
Has anyone eaten their over wintered collards? Are they any good? I made some turnips a few weeks ago that looked great and they were horrible. Tender, but very bitter.
This was my first year planting them in fall. I thought for sure they were frosted a couple times it got down in the low 20s. But they always rebounded. The arugula and lettuce I planted at the same time haven't done much. The arugula has bolted without ever getting leaves of any size. I didn't plant collards. Not a real cooked greens fan, except for spinach. DH likes them though. Maybe next year.
I have lettuce and a mesculin mix growing and really enjoying it. My mustard greens are blooming now and going to seed. Left them for now for the butterflies. I love all those greens yumm. I think most greens like the cooler weather (as they get older and you cook them longer, you can put a little sugar in the water when cooking to keep them from being so bitter)
Becky,, going back to look at the roundup. I would love some of your peppers and tomatoes.
Elaine
Elaine, have you over-wintered collards? Are you advising the "low and slow" for my old greens? I'll try. Our lettuces and Spring greens are just now coming up. I don't think a pound of sugar could have salvaged those turnips. Shame of it was the texture was really perfect.
Our arugala is in every age and stage throughout the year now. We love our greens too..with all the fixin's! Who would believe my family is from New York and DH's is from Boston?
Such a crummy day. Didn't even go out to peek at what was coming up. Perhaps tomorrow will surprise me and then I'm back to Atlanta for the week.
Hi,, well, collards are really not one of my favorites. I really love mustard, turnips, kale (even mixed and cooked together) I planted mustard seed back in hmm first of November. They grew and produced all winter. the cold really makes them sweeter. On the coldest nights (29 or so), I covered them, but I think they would still have been ok.
Hope this helps,
Elaine
Maypop:
We overwinter greens every year since we've moved here. We actually prefer them to be exposed to cold snaps and slight freezes as it does improve the flavor.
BB
The lettuces are very unhappy with this heat. Good thing they have mostly been pulled. I interplanted beets with very good results. We had lots of beet greens in the early thinnings and now have a good stand of roots filling out. Turnips are great. We had lots of greens, but not a lot of roots. Bugs have not been as bad as expected.
I wanted to share a couple of photos. The cabbages are heading up very nicely and the early tomato plants are at the top of the cages. Zucchini is in the background here. This is cabbage interplanted with tall zinnias and dill that is starting to head. The zinnias are about a week from bloom.
Laurel
The garden is on stepped banks, with most of the veggies at the top. We've learned to make use of vertical space as the veggie section is long and narrow. Here are "loops" DH makes for growing climbers. We have them all over the garden. These are growing Christmas beans which are starting to run.
We are still picking snow peas. About four pounds a week. What we don't give away I have been slicing down the length (julienne style) and sauteing in a cast iron skillet. The iron gives it a wok flavor. So, snow peas in the foreground and McAslan beans in the background.
The straightneck squash look spent in the heat, but you can see that we'll be picking first squash any day. I also have dark green zucchini (a week behind the yellow) and French round zucchini (two more weeks) coming on strong.
The straightneck squash look spent in the heat, but you can see that we'll be picking first squash any day. I also have dark green zucchini (a week behind the yellow) and French round zucchini (two more weeks) coming on strong.
Whoops, did I just send without the photo?
laurel have you ever let your lettuce go to seed? I have a buttercrunch that bolted early and is flowering,can I collect seed from it or should I just pull it and buy transplants
Fremar, lettuce seed is easy to save. It is self pollinating too, so you should have good buttercrunch the next time around. When saving seed of cool season vegetables, you want to save the seed from plants that are slowest to bolt, not those quick bolters. The reason is that the next generation of buttercrunch will have been selected (by you) to go to seed easily and early in hot weather. If all your buttercrunch is seeding, select the best heads that are furthest behind in the seeding process. BTW, heading lettuces bolt easily in our heat, but I still prefer the flavor and thicker leaf of buttercrunch or red romaine over black seeded Simpson.
I didn't used to bother with saving seed from veggies like lettuce. Even the most exotic types were cheap and plentiful. Now, between the seed cost, shipping, or lack of varieties that I love (such as Tom Thumb buttercrunch), I'm saving more and more seed.
I'd love to see other veggie gardeners and gardens posted here. Please share photos and tips.
Laurel
I've often thought the same thing.But I guess most veggie gardeners post in the veggie forum,but it would be nice to hear from local gardeners about what they grow and when.We have several very knowledgable gardeners that would benefit other Georgia gardeners.
I'm growing mainly tomatoes and peppers this year. My lettuce is done and I'm about harvest a little garlic. I think I will try to get seeds from the lettuce.
Pic of lettuce bolting.
Pepper bed on the side of DH's workshop. Peppers didn't do well from seed this year. Some of these are still struggling, but at least there are some blossoms.
Almost all the tomatoes have set fruit. Arkansas Traveler is an exception, very few blossoms and nothing set yet. Stupice is doing very well. Now to keep the critters from eating them first.
Hi Becky, hope you had a good trip. The garden looks great. Your peppers are way ahead of mine. Very pokey germinating this year. I'm thinking they would have moved along faster with heating mats but don't want to get technical with the whole thing. It's too hot for tomatoes to set, so most of the newer hands are skimpy or altogether bare. Hopefully the weather will break over the next few days. Our pond is looking like a mud hole with the spring water going to the garden. Sorry fishes.
Fremar, I hope some folks will join in with veggie posts because I've learned a lot from folks close to home. Especially old(er) timers :). I've tried many kinds of veggies and methods over thirty years of veggie gardening. Some might be great up North, or out West, or for someone else, but they just didn't work for me. I wish there was more room to experiment here. The paths get really tight by July. Here are the greens this week.
L
Happy Father's Day dads. Here's a Maypop from Maypop :).
Laurel
Becky, those maters are looking great. Mine are in pots and are blooming that you gave me. Hope I can keep the deer away from them. And the squirrels from digging in the pots.
Elaine
Yaaaaa....it's pouring. Keep up the good work Mom (Nature).
Some garlic for those tomatoes?
Laurel
yum,,,
Racing around to get things done before we leave for Atlanta. We'll pick lettuce, kale, eggplant, yellow squash, bush beans, a few tomatoes, green cabbage and assorted herbs this evening and early morning. Then back to town with the groceries.
Elaine, do you garden with your stomach like me? Sounds like it.
L
yes,,, and my nose too. I just love the smell of tomato plants.
E