Today's harvest

[bbqcoder]

I get two seasons from my pepper plants. I am harvesting now, and then the heat will get too high. It is 84F right now, at midnight. The plants will flower, but won't set fruit this time of summer. But, in September and October, I will get the best tasting, and hottest peppers of the year.

That’s awesome that you can get two seasons. Could you get peppers in the summer by having the pepper plants under a shade tent?

 

[pepperhead212]

The smaller tomatoes are starting to ripen quickly - I picked a few of 7 different varieties today, and the Cherry Bombs just starting. They are the 6 larger ones at the top of the bowl.
Latest ripening cherry tom's, cherry bombs largest. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

It's funny how fast these start ripening now. I'll pick everything with a hint of ripening on some plants in the morning, and in the evening there are some totally ripe! Sunsugar is the fastest, and that's my favorite snack, while outside.

 

[blissful]

Today we harvested a tower of butter crunch lettuce, huge, enough lettuce for 4 big salads. Cilantro, washed and drip dried the fronds, froze to use in salsa.


No tomatoes for another month. Dave, those look great!

 

[pepperhead212]

My lettuce is almost gone - the last variety (I wish I knew what it is! lol) is just starting to bolt, so I'll leave the largest of these last two, and save seeds.

Just found another tomato ripening - Black Vernisage. This is a black striped variety about 1½-2", a little larger later on, and one of the earlier ones to ripen, as you can see.
Another starting to ripen, 7-1. Black Vernisage by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Very soon I am going to be on a near vegetarian diet! lol

 

[blissful]

Very soon I am going to be on a near vegetarian diet! lol

Then people will start asking you stupid questions, like 'where do you get your protein?' and 'But do you get enough of this vitamin or mineral?'
"Eat meat, it's manly", "Vegetables are for wussy men."
So be careful and eat a sausage mcmuffin (a number one A carcinogen) to throw them off the scent of being a near vegetarian. You'll save yourself a ton of hassle.

 

[larry_stewart]

Then people will start asking you stupid questions, like 'where do you get your protein?' and 'But do you get enough of this vitamin or mineral?'
"Eat meat, it's manly", "Vegetables are for wussy men."
So be careful and eat a sausage mcmuffin (a number one A carcinogen) to throw them off the scent of being a near vegetarian. You'll save yourself a ton of hassle.

Thats the story of my life.
"what, do you just eat beans for protein ??"

Ironically, with all this plant based diet fad taking off, turns out Ive actually been cool and stylish for the past 30 years

 

[larry_stewart]

And for me, having a garden is almost like playing the home version of " Chopped" every day.

I parade through garden see what's ripe, and plan my week meals accordingly.

 

[caseydog]

That’s awesome that you can get two seasons. Could you get peppers in the summer by having the pepper plants under a shade tent?

Maybe. I have a very small yard, by choice. I also travel a lot for work. I keep my garden pretty simple.

I have lived in North Texas for a long time, and I'm used to the weather. I have fresh herbs all summer, and my oregano, rosemary, and thyme grows all year long. So, I take the good with the bad. My pepper plants will grow all summer, they just won't set fruit in the hottest months. But, I will get a huge crop of peppers in September and October, and they will be very good, and very hot.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Thats the story of my life.
"what, do you just eat beans for protein ??"

Ironically, with all this plant based diet fad taking off, turns out Ive actually been cool and stylish for the past 30 years

I like the old joke, "Salad is what food eats."

Actually, I do love fresh veggies -- on the plate next to my steak.

CD

 

[larry_stewart]

Finally, I have something worth posting.
Nothing to brag about, but I finally got my first 2 squashes
I had to pull of a significant amount of the outer cabbage leaves due to the cabbage moth/ caterpillar.
Ill probably use them to make spring rolls .

 

[pepperhead212]

Lookin' good, Larry! Glad you don't get those SVBs that keep me from growing non-moschata squash. But then, that made me experiment, and I wouldn't have found some of these Asian gourds! I got two more of those today:
Harvest after the garlic, with some chives for the lentil salad. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I harvested all of my garlic today, since it was very close to ready, and it was supposed to be (and now is) raining tonight. There were some smaller heads, like always, but they were fairly large, and there were 3-4 green leaves on most, which is good, since those will be the skins. Those few that always are there which have all browned, I have dug up before, or set them aside, to use soon. I should have dug up those empty spaces - sometimes there is a small head there, from where the top died off, or was eaten!

Here are the 3 different varieties:
Siberian Red, 44, plus a few small ones. 7-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

48 Estonian Reds, plus a few small ones. 7-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

56 Metechis, plus a few small ones. 7-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here are all of the heads, tied up to hang for curing:
L>R Metechi, Siberian Red, and Estonian Red, tied up for hanging. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[blissful]

Larry and Dave, nice harvest! We are probably still more than 10 days from garlic harvest. Being in wisconsin, it will be a while before we see tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers.

Yesterday-a small bowl of tiny sour cherries.

 

[bbqcoder]

The garlic harvest look great! So how did you determine that they were ready to be harvested? What are the signs you look for?

Where are you hanging your garlic to cure? I hang mine under the covered side porch.

 

[larry_stewart]

Garlic Looks Great!!
Traditionally I pick mine on the 4th ( right before Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest). I might give mine until the weekend .
Just picked 4 kiirbies today, probably will start my first jar of pickles within the next couple of days.

 

[larry_stewart]

After a few weeks of garden neglect ( being in Montana for a few weeks, then 3 weeks of rain, the guys doing windows and siding on the house for a few weeks, which prevented me from being in the garden), I finally got out there and took a good hard look ( boy, do I have my work cut out for me). But, I came across this pleasant surprise.
A baby Artichoke. Only other time I got an artichoke was when I bought a plant with an artichoke already on it. So Im ecstatic.

 

[Cheryl J]

Yay, Larry! Artichokes are a fave of mine. Hope to see more pics as it grows!

 

[blissful]

That is awesome Larry!

 

[pepperhead212]

That's great, Larry! I tried a couple varieties of arrichokes, but did not have good results.

The garlic harvest look great! So how did you determine that they were ready to be harvested? What are the signs you look for?

Where are you hanging your garlic to cure? I hang mine under the covered side porch.

I look for an average 3-4 green leaves left, and I start watching in the latter part of June. And I first dig up a few that I notice have turned almost entirely brown. Sometimes nothing useful, but often there is a head I can use, and I used some of this in that som tum, which is much better with super fresh garlic, since it's raw.

I cure and store my garlic in the basement. I just hung it down there today, in front of my lathe, the least used machine in my workshop.
Garlic hanging in the basement to cure, 7-3 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Okra is starting to produce, and I have to snip it daily now.
Okra starting to produce - 7-3, about 3 days worth. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And the tomatoes are definitely doing great! I picked this basket around 9 am, and the bowl around 7 pm, and the ones in the basket have gotten ripe FAST! Most had just a blush on them earlier, like the ones in the bowl.
Early and late tomato picking, 7-3 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Cheryl J]

Wow, Dave....I sure love your pics and envy your harvests! Wonderful pics.

 

[larry_stewart]

My garage is going to look just like your basement in a week , with garlic hanging . Cant wait!!

and as far as the artichoke goes, I almost never have luck, Its one of those crops that T tell my wife ( each year) never to let me buy another one. And then I go to the nursery, and cant resist