Is It Ripe Yet?: November 2008

Monday, November 10, 2008

More planting

After tearing out an unbelievably sad dead hydrangea we now have plenty of room for a nice big vegetable plot in one of the sunnier spots in the yard. I'm continuing with the cold weather crops and have found some more exciting varieties at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery.

Here's what's going in the ground:

Dinosaur Kale
Romanesco Broccoli (spiral shaped, chartreuse variety)
Cheddar Cauliflower (yellow-orange variety)
Graffiti Cauliflower (purple variety)

Planting & Harvesting Timeline

5/28/11: Planted pole bean seedlings
5/27/11: Planted all tomatoes in the ground
5/11/11: Transplanted second set of tomatoes to one gallon pots
5/7/11: Purchased second set of tomatoes
5/5/11: Transplanted first set of tomatoes to one gallon pots
4/24/11: Planted Fink Deertongue lettuce
4/23/11: Purchased first set of tomatoes
4/18/11: Started pole beans in compost
1/11: Planted peas
11/13/10: Planted Brussel Sprouts & Kale
11/10/10: Planted sweet pea seeds in stair plot
7/10-9/10: Pole Bean Harvest
6/1/10: Patty Pan and Round French squash planted
5/30/10: Pulled out Mammoth Melting peas
5/22/10: Planted peppers, chard and last of butternut squash
5/15/10: Planted pole and bush beans
4/25/10: Planted pumpkins, butternut squash and tatume squash
4/8/10: Planted tomato seedlings
4/3/10: Started additional seeds
3/18/10: Started butternut squash and pepper seeds

Things I've Grown

Beans:
Gourmet Bush Bean Blend (Heirloom): description: includes Royalty Purple Pod, Golden Wax and Dragon Tongue, 60 days to maturity, pick before sides bulge, Irish Eyes Garden Seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 5/15/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Golden Crescent Pole Beans: description: heirloom pole yellow snap bean, vines bear stringless, curly yellow pods, 75 days to maturity, purchased at ESY Plant Sale 5/8/10; planted: 5/15/10; harvest: good harvest, quite tasty; growing notes:
Purple Pole Beans: description: purchased at ESY Plant Sale 5/8/10; planted: 5/15/10; harvest: good harvest, quite tasty; growing notes:

Beats:
Ruby Beet Mix--Chioggia, Early Wonder Tall Top & Bull's Blood: description: seedlings from Flatland Flower Farms purchased at BHN; planted: 10/31/09; harvest: ; growing notes:

Broccoli:
Romanesco: description: seedlings from Upstarts purchased at BHN; planted: 11/08; growing notes: bolted/flowered 3/09 after heat spell
Marathon: description: fast, easy to grow & heat tolerant, mid-sized dark green heads, give plenty of water, apply fish & kelp solutions; seedlings from Sunnyside Organics purchased at BHN; planted 10/31/09; harvest ; growing notes:

Cauliflower:
Chedddar: description: F1, orange; seedlings from Upstarts purchased at BHN; planted: 11/08; harvest: none; growing notes: seems susceptible to aphids
Graffiti: description: purple, seedlings from Upstarts purchased at BHN; planted: 11/08; harvest: none; growing notes: started to produce heads end of 3/09

Kale:
Toscano/Dinosaur: description: seedlings from Sunnyside purchased at BHN; planted: 11/08 & 11/09; harvest: 4/09 - ?; growing notes: can eat raw since barely bitter, especially young leaves, hearty producer, planted additional seedlings since enjoy so much, let 2 plants from original planting flower for potential seeds
Radbot: description: dark magenta leaves &, deeply fringed, cold hardy, leaves turn darker in cold weather; seedlings form Sunnyside Organics purchased at BHN; planted 11/21/09; harvest: ; growing notes: almost got completely devoured by slugs, however 2 seedlings survived

Lettuce:
Buttercrunch (bibb): description: seedlings from Sunnyside purchased at BHN; planted: 3/09
"All Star" Mixed: description: seedlings from Sunnyside purchased at BHN; planted: 10/08; harvest: 1/09-3/09; growing notes: green variety bolted because of heat spell, but luckily didn't turn too bitter
Mixed Red & Green Romaine: description: seedlings from Flatland Flower Farms, purchased at BHN; planted: 10/08; harvest: 2/09 ; growing notes: took a while to take off, good flavor, nice color, started to bolt end of 3/09
Pirat: description: red butterhead lettuce, loose heads, very tender, great for cooler months of the year; seedlings from Flatland Flower Farms, purchased at BHN; planted: 10/31/09; harvest: ; growing notes: did REALLY well!!
Fink Deertongue: description: Polish heirloom variety with a pink heart and tips, likes cool weather, resists bolting; seedlings from Flatland Flower Farms, purchased at BHN; planted: 4/24/11; harvest: ; growing notes:

Peas:
Mammoth Melting Pea: description: pole snow pea, wilt resistant 4-5' vines need staking, high yielding, 75 days, seedlings from Kassenhoff Growers purchased at BHN; planted: 12/09; harvest: N/A; growing notes: very happy against the fence in tomato cages, some plants reached over 6'
Sugar Ann Snap Peas: description: semi dwarf plants can be grown without support, heavy yielding, remove strings of pods for cooking or fresh use, 20-30 days after bloom, seedlings from Sunnyside Organics purchased at BHN; planted: 12/09; harvest: 3/10; growing notes: low producer due to slugs, but still managed to produce about 20 peas from 2 six packs of seedlings

Peppers:
"Lipstick:" description: seeds saved from purple and red varieties from farmer's market summer '08; started seedlings 4/1/09 & 3/18/10; planted: seeds never sprouted; harvest: N/A; growing notes:
Mixed Sweet Varieties: description: yellow, orange and red varieties, seeds saved from farmer's market summer '08; started seedlings 4/1/09 & 3/18/10; planted: 7/09; harvest: N/A, eaten by deer; growing notes:
Gypsy: description: seeds saved from farmer's market summer '08; started seedlings 3/18/10; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Chocolate Beauty Pepper: description: dark, shiny green fruits ripen to a rich chocolate brown, sweet flavor, maturity: 70-75 days from transplant; Seed Savers Exchange seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 5/22/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Italian Marconi Golden Sweet Pepper (Heirloom): description: traditional Italian sweet pepper, turns green to yellow (both very tasty), maturity: 90days; Botanical Interests seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 5/22/10; harvest: ; growing notes:

Squash:
Long Island Cheese (Winter): description: seedling purchased from Edible Schoolyard fundraiser; planted: 5/09; growing notes: tried to produce fruit, but always fell off vine before growing larger than about a nickel, seemed to be eaten by slugs
White Lebanese (Summer): description: robust bushes withstand harsh conditions, seedlings from Sweetwater Organics at BHN; planted: 5/09; harvest: fall '09 produced 1 squash; growing notes: barely grew
Zucchini "San Pasquale" (Summer): description: compact vine from southern Italy, seedlings from Flatland Flower Farm purchased at BHN; planted: 5/09; harvest: never produced edible fruit; growing notes: barely grew
Small Butternut Squash: description: seeds saved from tasty squash purchased at Monterey Market 2/10; started seedlings 3/18/10, started to sprout in 1 week; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Small Sugar Pumpkin: description: preferred baking pumpkin, sweet flesh, stores well, 6-8” diameter fruit, maturity: 100 days; Olds Seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 4/25/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Tatume (Summer, Heirloom from Mexico): description: tough drought tolerant vines bear multiple baseball sized fruit, long vigorous vines can be clipped back, plant will send out shorter shoots and keep bearing, resistant to squash vine borer and mildew; Nichols Garden Nursery seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 4/25/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
White Bush Patty Pan (Summer): description: pale green scalloped fruit with tender, fine-grained texture and outstanding flavor, prolific bush form, 50 days to maturity, plant in full sun, water weekly during dry spells, seedlings purchased at BHN; planted: 6/1/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Round French (Summer): description: French heirloom, little round zucchinis with fine, bright green skin and custardy-smooth, ric h tasting flesh, prolific, 50 days to maturity, plant in full sun, water weekly during dry spells, seedlings purchased at BHN; planted: 6/1/10; harvest: ; growing notes:

Strawberries:
Sequoia Junebearing (perennial): description: purchased at BHN; planted: Fall 08; harvest: Fall 08: few fruit, Summer 09: good fruit production; growing notes: seems to be happy in pot on deck, 1/10 moved it into a new pot with Fragaria strawberries
Fragaria (perennial): description: sweet delicious fruit all summer even at temps above 80, blooms May-Sept; purchased at BHN; planted 1/10; harvest: ; growing notes:

Swiss Chard:
"Golden Sunrise:" description: bright yellow/orange stemmed variety with a mellower flavor, seedlings from flatland Flower Farms, purchased at BHN; planted: 10/08; harvest: 3/09 - summer '09; growing notes: took a while to grow, by 3/09 seemed large enough that was worth harvesting, still on the small side, tasty, susceptible to caterpillars so had to cut back large portion of crop
Rhubarb Chard (organic): description: abundant producer, dark green leaves with brilliant red venation, easy to grow, maturity: 50-60 days; Seeds of Change seeds started 4/3/10; planted: 5/22/10; harvest: ; growing notes:

Tomato:
Italian Tree: description: Trellis-tomato grows up to 25', heavy yielding med-sized red globes, 65 days; seedlings from Sunnyside Organics; planted: 4/12/09; harvest:7/09-11/09; growing notes: enthusiastic grower, was still producing fruit into 11/09, produced large "steak" tomatoes, some fruit split due to temperature changes and was lost, have to ensure limbs have enough support since fruit gets heavy
Spike: description: "black" w/ green stripes, 70-75 days; locally bred seedlings; planted: 4/12/09; harvest:7/09-10/09; growing notes: good producer, enjoyed different flavor
Sungold Cherry: description: heavy yielding English hybrid, clusters of golden cherry tomatoes, large vines, 50 days; seedlings from Sunnyside Organics; planted: 4/12/09 & 4/8/10; harvest: 7/09-11/09; growing notes: a must every year! heavy producer, very sweet, plus beautiful and hearty grower
Maglia Rosa: description: small torpedo-like pink friut, 75 days; seedling locally bred by Fred Hempel; planted: 4/12/09; harvest:7/09-10/09; growing notes: good producer, but lower producer in comparison with other plants, still enjoyed
Juliet elongated cherry: description: 1999 All American Selector's Winner for adaptability yield & taste, 55 days; seedlings from Sunnyside Organics; planted: 4/12/09; harvest: 8/09-11/09; growing notes: enthusiastic grower, grew into the bougainvillea tree and was still producing fruit into 11/09, good basic smaller tomato
Marvei Striped: description: seedling purchased at Edible Schoolyard fundraiser; planted: 5/09; harvest: none, fruit didn't stay on vine or ripen before cold
Sweet Million F1: description: exceptionally sweet taste, prolific yielder sets clusters of 20-30 deep red 1" fruit, easy to grow, large indeterminate vines need support, maturity: 70 days, plant in full sun, Sweetwater Organics purchased at BHN; planted: 4/8/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Amish Gold: description: cross between Amish Paste and Sungold, thmub-sized golden fruit, very very sweet and productive, indeterminate, 80 days; seedling from Flatland Flower Farm purchased at BHN; planted: 4/8/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
Kiwi: seedling from Love Apple Farm, gift from parents; planted: 4/8/10; harvest: ; growing notes:
St. Pierre:description: an early, old French market variety, great tasting, small Early girl size fruit, 65-70 days; seedling from Flatland Flower Farms; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Black Prince:description: deep garnet fruits load up on these plants that stay fairly small, medium-sized and full of juice and good, rich flavor; seedling from Sunnyside Organic Seedlings; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Green Zebra:description: clusters of med-sized cherry, ripens with green stripes and amber flesh; seedling from Sunnyside Organic Seedlings; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Jaune Flamme:description: small bight orange fruit, great flavor, 70-80 days; seedling from Edible Schoolyard Plant Sale; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:
Super Sweet 100:description: supersweet tomato that can produce 100 small cherry tomatoes on a single strand; seedling from Edible Schoolyard Plant Sale; planted: ; harvest: ; growing notes:

Is It Ripe Yet?

Monday, November 10, 2008

More planting

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