Harvest Monday - June 9, 2014
We have another new addition to the harvest lineup this week - Radishes!
They looked pretty good & were not too spicy. I sowed two varieties from leftover seeds that I had from last year - "Scarlet Globe" and "White Icicle". I'm actually pretty happy because almost all of the red radishes have bulbed up - there are only a few stragglers left in the soil. They are relatively small (averaging only about 8 grams each), but this is twice as large as last year, so I'm smiling.
Only about half of the red radishes developed bulbs last year. The rest were basically long, skinny roots. Why? No idea. The white radishes fared even worse, with only 6 or 7 swollen roots (out of maybe 20 sown). So far, none of these are ready yet - I'm hoping we have a better showing this year on these as well. It's kind of strange but it seems like the easier a vegetable is to grow, the more difficult it is for ME to grow it. I will prove my point later this week when I do a post on squash.
The above photo also includes some of the spinach I harvested. A few days after this photo was taken, several of the Monstrueux de Viroflay spinach plants were on the verge of bolting, so I decided to harvest a final crop & pull the plants. Then I amended the bed with some chicken manure (which I forgot to do last time) & soybean meal so that it was ready to go for the next round of spinach.
Speaking of which, the Galilee spinach that I started 3 weeks ago and was hardening off to transplant this week bolted!
Ugh! I don't know what happened - everything was going well & they looked healthy. Maybe they don't like being confined & are better sown directly? Maybe I should have transplanted them sooner?The Viroflay spinach was only 2 weeks old when I transplanted them because they took such a long time to germinate, which put me way behind. The kicker is that Galilee is supposed to be very slow to bolt.
A few of the seedlings had not bolted yet, but, instead of using up valuable bed space & wasting time on seedlings that I was pretty sure would amount to nothing, I decided to start all over again. So I pre-germinated another batch of Galilee. They were quick to germinate (like before) but this time, instead of sowing them in cell packs to start inside, I sowed them directly into the bed. We will see how well they do.
The lettuce area is now shaded - I'm hoping to prolong the harvest until my new starts are ready, which should be in a couple of weeks. As for the current crop - so far so good - the lettuce has not turned bitter yet even though we have had a few fairly hot days.
This week we finally harvested some "Rougette de Montpellier". This is a butterhead type lettuce and the only one that I wanted to harvest as a head, instead of individual leaves. I'm not sure how large these grow, as this is my first time harvesting them this way, so I thought I would harvest some now & then let the rest grow another week or so.
As in prior weeks, we also harvested pak choi and collards.
Spinach ā 254 grams (0.56 lbs)
Lettuce ā 886 grams (1.95 lbs)
Radishes - 126 grams (0.28 lbs)
Total For Week ā 2,412 grams (5.32 lbs)
Total To Date ā 5,898 grams (13.00 lbs)
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| "Monstrueux de Viroflay" Spinach & "Scarlet Globe" Radishes |
Only about half of the red radishes developed bulbs last year. The rest were basically long, skinny roots. Why? No idea. The white radishes fared even worse, with only 6 or 7 swollen roots (out of maybe 20 sown). So far, none of these are ready yet - I'm hoping we have a better showing this year on these as well. It's kind of strange but it seems like the easier a vegetable is to grow, the more difficult it is for ME to grow it. I will prove my point later this week when I do a post on squash.
The above photo also includes some of the spinach I harvested. A few days after this photo was taken, several of the Monstrueux de Viroflay spinach plants were on the verge of bolting, so I decided to harvest a final crop & pull the plants. Then I amended the bed with some chicken manure (which I forgot to do last time) & soybean meal so that it was ready to go for the next round of spinach.
Speaking of which, the Galilee spinach that I started 3 weeks ago and was hardening off to transplant this week bolted!
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| Three Week Old "Galilee" Spinach Seedling - Bolting!? |
A few of the seedlings had not bolted yet, but, instead of using up valuable bed space & wasting time on seedlings that I was pretty sure would amount to nothing, I decided to start all over again. So I pre-germinated another batch of Galilee. They were quick to germinate (like before) but this time, instead of sowing them in cell packs to start inside, I sowed them directly into the bed. We will see how well they do.
The lettuce area is now shaded - I'm hoping to prolong the harvest until my new starts are ready, which should be in a couple of weeks. As for the current crop - so far so good - the lettuce has not turned bitter yet even though we have had a few fairly hot days.
This week we finally harvested some "Rougette de Montpellier". This is a butterhead type lettuce and the only one that I wanted to harvest as a head, instead of individual leaves. I'm not sure how large these grow, as this is my first time harvesting them this way, so I thought I would harvest some now & then let the rest grow another week or so.
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| Heads of "Rougette de Montpellier" |
My harvest totals this week were:
Collards ā 372 grams (0.82 lbs)
Chinese Cabbage ā 774 grams (1.71 lbs)Spinach ā 254 grams (0.56 lbs)
Lettuce ā 886 grams (1.95 lbs)
Radishes - 126 grams (0.28 lbs)
Total For Week ā 2,412 grams (5.32 lbs)
Total To Date ā 5,898 grams (13.00 lbs)
To see what everyone else has been harvesting over the past week, head on over to Daphneās Dandelions, our host for Harvest Mondays.
Till next time...āŗ
Till next time...āŗ
I'm missing my radishes. Maybe I can grow them again in the fall. I usually forget, but there is always a first time.
ReplyDeleteAnd spinach bolts not just with heat but also with day length. When the day length gets above 14 hours it can trigger it. For me that is the middle of May. That being said, mine didn't start bolting until the first week in June. So if the conditions are good, they can survive a lot longer.
I had no idea that spinach bolts as a result of day length...I guess I will see what happens when they come up in the bed. This variety was so easy to start & the plants look so promising as a summer spinach - it would be a shame if it didn't produce because of our longer summer days.
DeleteVery pretty radishes and greens. I never have good results with spinach as it always bolts too fast.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny! That's too bad about your spinach. But these days, it seems that they are developing all kinds of new vegetable varieties for almost every climate - There must be some variety of slow bolt spinach that would do well in your climate...
DeleteBeautiful radishes. I keep trying to tell myself that one day I'll like radishes but it never seems to happen. Maybe I'll try again this fall and something magically will change with my taste buds.
ReplyDeleteThey do have a sharp taste. So in the fall when you grow them ;) try this: Another blogger (I believe it was http://davessfggarden.blogspot.ca/) suggested thinly slicing them & then placing them on a buttered baguette with a light sprinkling of salt. I tried this & it was amazing - even my 8 year old liked it (& he tasted one "straight up" and didn't like it at all).
DeleteYour radishes look lovely. My White Icicles didn't amount to anything this spring and neither did my spinach. I get so excited when spring arrives and then get disappointed because our springs always go from cool to really hot too fast. I really need to stop trying with spring plantings and stick to the fall, but I have a feeling I will never learn.
ReplyDeleteThat's the wonderful thing about us gardeners - we are forever optimistic and determined....
DeleteThat is frustrating to have your spinach bolt before it's even planted out. If you like spinach-like greens and you do get some pretty hot weather where you garden, you might like amaranth greens. I grow a couple of dwarf Asian varieties that are very tasty and quick growers in hot weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle - I will definitely put amaranth on my list for next year!
DeleteI very rarely grow radish but always think they look so pretty. My spinach is beginning to bolt too even the ones that are supposed to be "bolt resistant." I am growing Amaranth this year. It is supposed to taste like spinach but tolerate the summer heat. We will see. I hope the lettuce holds on a little longer.
ReplyDeleteI've added amaranth to my list for next year based on Michelle's suggestion. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with it this summer.
DeleteI love radishes, but somehow they don't grow well in my soil. Even when I try to keep them watered.
ReplyDeleteI've had minimal luck with radishes in the past too - I'm actually surprised at how well they grew considering it was a bed that I fertilized quite heavily for the cabbages & collards. I thought I might get lots of leaves but no roots. Maybe you could scatter a few seeds in different beds & see what happens - you never know - there may be a spot or two that, for whatever reason, will give you a good radish harvest.
DeleteNice radishes. I have gotten a few this year but some of mine were not good. Wondering if I should try to plant a few more. Lovely spinach in the basket. Mine has bolted too. Nancy
ReplyDeleteThe great thing about radishes is you can sow them practically anywhere you have a bit of space in between your other crops....so I say - go for it!
DeleteMy spinach is starting to bolt too. I think i will still get some weeks from my kale, collards and lettuce though.
ReplyDeleteLast year, the collards lasted practically all summer with me picking their outer leaves. And the lettuce is hanging in too - the shade cloth seems to be working - for now! Good luck with the rest of your greens!
ReplyDeleteLooking very good! I miss our spinach, our weather turned off hot and it bolted 2 weeks ago. No more now until the fall crop is ready in October. :(
ReplyDeleteSo sad when you have to say goodbye to a delicious veggie for a few months...and then so delighted when it's back in the garden (& on the plate). That's the thing with gardening - there is always something to look forward to!
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