Harvest in the Snow
We don't usually garden into December at the Derwood Demo Garden, but this fall we've been short on work days because somehow it always rains on Thursday, and so a lot that would normally have been harvested in the vegetable garden is still there. And - I went to visit today to see how things were after the snow and before tonight's predicted freezing rain - much of it is still looking great!
Here's what I harvested today:
Purple Top White Globe turnips (plenty more of those to come, too); Red Long of Tropea onions; and the last tiny Bull's Blood beets. Left for another harvest, leeks:
And cabbages:
And cauliflower with tiny little heads forming:
The cauliflower is still under a row cover that was meant to protect it from insects (mainly harlequin bugs) and is now offering some small protection from weather. There's a Lesson Learned story connected with that row cover: I bought the cauliflower seedlings in August and put them in the ground, checking them (I thought) carefully for pests and covering them up. But the next time I looked at the plants, they had been nearly skeletonized by cabbage worms. Missed a couple - or the eggs. Lesson: do not put the pests with your plants under the row cover. I squished all the caterpillars I could find, and the next time I looked (a couple of weeks later, due to circumstances), the plants were at least in no worse shape, and one lone cabbage butterfly fluttered out. But I can't imagine most of the butterflies got through their life cycle very well imprisoned under a row cover. At least no harlequin bugs found their way in, and the cauliflower started looking better as soon as the temperatures cooled. We'll have to work harder on stimulating head formation, so it'll be all worthwhile!
Maybe we'll do this fall gardening thing on purpose next year, hm? It seems to work!
Here's what I harvested today:
Purple Top White Globe turnips (plenty more of those to come, too); Red Long of Tropea onions; and the last tiny Bull's Blood beets. Left for another harvest, leeks:
And cabbages:
And cauliflower with tiny little heads forming:
The cauliflower is still under a row cover that was meant to protect it from insects (mainly harlequin bugs) and is now offering some small protection from weather. There's a Lesson Learned story connected with that row cover: I bought the cauliflower seedlings in August and put them in the ground, checking them (I thought) carefully for pests and covering them up. But the next time I looked at the plants, they had been nearly skeletonized by cabbage worms. Missed a couple - or the eggs. Lesson: do not put the pests with your plants under the row cover. I squished all the caterpillars I could find, and the next time I looked (a couple of weeks later, due to circumstances), the plants were at least in no worse shape, and one lone cabbage butterfly fluttered out. But I can't imagine most of the butterflies got through their life cycle very well imprisoned under a row cover. At least no harlequin bugs found their way in, and the cauliflower started looking better as soon as the temperatures cooled. We'll have to work harder on stimulating head formation, so it'll be all worthwhile!Maybe we'll do this fall gardening thing on purpose next year, hm? It seems to work!
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