Category Archives: vegetables

Veggies 10.1

seeds, spring, vegetables

As I typed the title of this post, I cannot believe we’ve been growing veggies on The Lot for 10 years already. I’ve made so many mistakes in that time! I’ve also learned a lot as well… the knowledge most retained being what I learned from all of those mistakes. If you haven’t tried growing food before, you really should give it a try. It’s very rewarding.

Succession Planting

Last year I tried for the first time to stagger the planting of the cool weather crops. Since our #carnivorekids do not eat food grown in the garden, the Other Half and I can enjoy all the spoils. In the past, this has led to large harvests of produce at one time than two people to handle. Our growing season is so short, it often does not leave enough time for a second round of food. Enter succession planting. But then we decided to bolt for a 2 week trip and plans for fresh greens didn’t pan out.

The Plan for Continuous Spring Greens

But this season will be different! (says every gardener, every season) We will be home as spring crops come time to harvest. Here’s how I’m making the attempt this year in our two 4’x4′ raised beds:

  • Divide beds into sections. We already do this with our practice of square foot gardening, but I also look at how the early spring sun warms the beds. Which areas of the two beds gets the most sun? For me, this results in splitting the beds into 2-3 sections.
  • Stagger planting dates by 2-3 weeks. Even if it’s the same crop, I split the planting of that crop. The first planting date I could plant 6 spinach plant seeds. Two or three weeks later, I will plant another 6 spinach plant seeds in the next section of the raised beds. As the first planting of spinach is winding down, the second planting is becoming available.
  • Plant fast growing crops. We’ve decided on the Lot we can’t screw around with 90 days crops in our zone. Ain’t got time for that! When choosing between a 30 day to harvest spinach and a 50 day to harvest spinach, we will gravitate toward trying the 30 day spinach.

Sketch out a Planting Plan

When planning what food to grow in the raised beds, I draw out a plan on graph paper. This works really well for me since we plant via the square foot planting approach, and because I am more of a visual person. When creating the planting plan, I draw out the two raised beds on the graph paper and try to note:

  • type of plant
  • how many of those plants
  • size of area the plants require
  • planting date
  • harvest date

Here’s a visual of the first bed with the first planting from this afternoon. Last year I color-coded the planting dates for a quick visual cue. As I plant the sections, I choose a color for the planting date and then note that on the sketches of the beds.

cold crops planting diagram

Growing Greens in Containers

I’ve mixed kale and such into my annual containers with flowers when potting them up in the past. This season I am going to try to do spring greens in containers before the rest of the season really gets going. Some plants I’ll try to start from seed in containers will be ‘Bright Lights’ swiss chard, parsley, snow peas, and kale.

Cold Crops 2019

For record-keeping purposes, this is what I planted.

  • (18) Arugula
  • (6) Spinach ‘Baby Leaf Hybrid’
  • (8) Pak Choi ‘Baby Bok Choy’
  • (18) Spinach ‘Bloomsdale Long Standing’
  • (4) Lettuce ‘Gourmet Blend’
  • (8) Peas ‘Oregon sugar Pod II’
  • (8) Lettuce ‘All Season Butterhead Mix’

Veggies 9.1

planting, seeds, vegetables

Growing vegetables this year was, well, challenging. The routine has been to plant seeds for cool crops in April, plant seeds and seedlings for warm crops after the last frost or by Memorial Day, and then try to squeeze in a small crop of greens in the late summer to fall.

This year I actually managed a staggered planting of spring cool crops. Then we promptly left the country. Poor planning? Argh. Well, then I was busy getting the rest of the Lot in shape, so our only warm crops this year are 3 tomatillo plant volunteers, some basil, a handful of garlic and beets (carrying over from spring), and what looks to be a volunteer cherry tomato plant.

However, tonight I have successfully planted seeds for a late season collection of cool crops! Here’s what went into the ground:

  • Arugula Rocket (35 days to harvest)
  • Baby Leaf Hybrid Spinach (30-40 days to harvest)
  • Baby Bok Choy Pak Choi (35-55 days to harvest)

First Frost Date

What I have to watch out for will be the first frost date, the first evening the temps at ground level dip to 32 degrees F, for our area. There are first frost maps that can give you an average of when that fateful evening is going to arrive. For our area, this first frost map predicts it will be between October 1 and October 10.

For a more accurate first frost date, I’m going to be checking the local station on the EnviroWeather website.

Crop Tolerance

I discovered on the MSUE Extension site that different crops are more tolerant of frost than others. I guess I knew this in part because I realize our summer veggies would not do well, if even survive, our spring season here. However, I didn’t connect this with cool crops actually having a bit of frost tolerance instead of just being okay in cooler weather.

Vegetables developing from flowers (like tomatoes, beans, okra, cucumber) are  more sensitive to frost. On the other hand, vegetables that are roots or leaves are more hardy. Plants like spinach can stand a frost of less than 28 degrees F. Brr.

It is possible I will utilize the new row covers I constructed this past spring just to be on the safe side. This will ensure the above plants are safe from frost damage until they are ready to harvest.

Resources
Frost and Freezing in Fall Vegetables

Veggies 8.0

spring, vegetables

Like last year, the cool season crops are going in later than I’d like this season. We had been away on vacation and returned to beautiful Spring weather. After a hectic week catching up on work and a Saturday planting 3 beds for a school veggie garden volunteer project, I was finally able to focus on our own vegetable garden last night. I sketched up a cool season layout with the exciting addition of Edamame!

Then today it rained, and rained, and is still raining. Determined with a mild dash of stubbornness, this gardener put on a rain coat and proceeded to plant. However, when the carrot seeds were sticking to my cold, wet, muddy fingers, I decided to head back indoors for a bit. Instead I thought I’d log what is going in for the cool season crops this year.

2017 Spring Cool Crop Lineup

Planted May 30 despite multiple trips between rain showers to the back garden!

  • Pea Snap Cascadia (Pisum sativum) – supposed to have self-supporting 30″ vine (58 days)
  • Radish Easter Egg Blend (Raphanus sativus) – multiple colors (30 days)
  • Lettuce Gourmet Blend – blend of Prizeleaf, Royal Oak Leaf, Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl, and Ashley lettuces (45 days)
  • Carrots Carnival Blend (Daucus carota sativus) – multiple colors of carrots, can also be harvested early for baby carrots (65-75 days)
  • Spinach Baby’s Leaf Hybrid – harvest early for salads or later for cooking (30-40 days)
  • Arugula Rocket Salad Roquette (Eruca sativa) – salad, sandwiches, or pizza (30-45 days)
  • Onion Bunching / Scallion White Lisbon (Allium cepa) – do not thin if narrow scallions desired (60 days)
  • Edamame Butterbean (Glycine max) – edible green soybeans. technically a warm season crop, but our season is so short I’m going to take a chance and sow now. (90 days)