Monday, September 19, 2011

Fall Garden Tour

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Now that summer is coming to an end, here's a preview of this year's fall garden. All in all, I was good about getting our fall crops started on time. In a few weeks we'll have to break out the row cover at night, but nonetheless, I'm hoping that we'll be able to harvest continually from the garden until at least early December.

In no particular order, here is what we'll be eating (hopefully) during the next few months:

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The fall beets (lower right) are slowly sizing up while the fast growing Tokyo Market turnips should be ready in a couple of weeks.

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The spinach is practically ready for us to harvest. The winter carrots (right) on the other hand will be pulled in December and January, that is if the voles don't get to them first.

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Red russian kale in the background and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) in the foreground. I have another bed of gai lan that should be ready in a week or two.

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Here's a bed of Asian greens.

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I am growing a ton of leeks this year and they are looking really good. They are much fatter than last year's crop.

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I have two Jade Cross Brussel sprout plants that survived the groundhog attacks earlier this year. Can we defeat the cabbage worms and actually get a harvest this year?

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My fall carrots should be ready in another month or so.

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The Bonanza broccoli is doing well and should be ready soon. On the other hand, I'm worried that our cauliflower won't head up in time.

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This will most likely be my last year of growing Napa cabbage. It's impossible to keep the slugs away from this plant. Also, our fall crop has bolted prematurely due to the sudden change in temperatures. I think I'll stick to other Asian greens that are easier and faster to grow.

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I don't expect much from our fall snow peas but that won't stop me from trying to grow them.

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Finally, I have several varieties of winter lettuce this year. These will have to be harvested by early December their quality quickly diminishes after that point.

In addition to this, I sowed some mache, claytonia and French Breakfast radishes the other day. What's growing in your fall garden?

21 comments:

  1. You've got a nice variety of veggies for fall. I have some napa cabbages that are growing like crazy now that we are finally having some warm weather (please don't bolt!). There's four kinds of beets and some celery and celery root. The spring sown calabrese broccoli has recuperated from the oak root competition and is starting to produce shoots. There's other stuff that I'm trying to start in flats to plant out but the rats did a number on them... sheesh, when will that plague end? I hope to get some snap peas going but haven't gotten around to sowing the seeds yet.

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  2. Your vegie garden looks awesome, i havent started one yet, but hopefully wont be far away as you have given me lots of inspiration. The pests you encounter are very interesting too.

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  3. We are in the middle of buying a home at the moment so nothing in the ground this Autumn (it'll all be worth it though! More garden space at the new place!)

    That said I have some mixed cutting lettuce growing in a window box I can take with me. This week I'll be sowing some dwarf carrots or maybe radishes in another one this week.

    Your garden looks so awesome! I don't ever remember seeing Brussel Sprouts growing before, the plant looks so cool and alien!

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  4. Your fall garden looks incredible. We have many of the same things you have, and we're missing many others. You've been very, very busy. Nice work!

    We've never used row covers, but our fall crop is much less mature than yours. If necessity is the mother of invention, we may be on a fast learning curve for row covers this fall! Thanks for the encouraging "Fall Garden Tour".

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  5. I have three weeks to get all of my carrots pulled, as I've found they don't winter well. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that my beets size up soon, as they will also have to be pulled before mid-October. I'm still harvesting summer veggies, but won't be replacing or planting anything more until spring.

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  6. what a lovely fall crop! You are very luck!

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  7. Oh I am so envious! I have just not been able to get the fall timing right yet. I managed to seed some roots, greens, peas, and fava beans, but I missed the boat on crucifers entirely.

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  8. When did you plant the brussels sprouts? And did you do seeds or transplants? There's no way we're going to get anything from our this year (we knew it was a long shot), but they seems much slower than the seed packets suggested, so I am curious about timing them better for next year.

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  9. looks great....I keep saying I will plant a fall crop of my own. Maybe next year!

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  10. Thomas, your fall garden looks wonderful! wish ours looked as well. We are still having a heat wave, mid 80's so my counters are loaded with tomatoes and eggplant... all else is nearly gone.

    PS: with all those green tomatoes, you might make some green tomato salsa. :) hope all is well.

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  11. Your garden looks beautiful from the veggie to the way you plant it, very neat and tidy, it shows how well-organized and attention to detail you are. My job is pretty busy with lots of pressure but a few minutes to look at your garden bring the peace back into my mind. Thanks Thomas!

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  12. Your garden is always so picture perfect and beautiful - eye candy for other gardeners like me. Your fall crops are gorgeous and coming along nicely. I also have leeks but they are a bit skinny this year - not concerned about it though as we are using them up early as a replacement for the failed/not so great onion harvest this year. Here's what I have growing for fall/winter crops: parsnips, carrots, beets, kale, cabbages, broccoli, mache, spinach, green/salad onions, leeks, lettuces (not many as the slugs got to most of it) and pac choi (not much as the slugs got to those too). I had some napa cabbage as well but ended up pulling it and feeding it to the hens because the slugs had made a royal mess of them. I need to start some more lettuce indoors and get them planted up in the containers in the greenhouse. Been meaning to do that and have not got it done yet.

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  13. Love your Fall garden. It's very inspiring! I was hoping we'd have time to get a Fall crop in at our little farm, but since the remodeling has taken forever, I haven't been able to concentrate on getting the gardens built on our property. I'm hoping that will happen later this year/winter and I can be ready for it next Spring. Until then, Seda Bolsa Farm can live vicariously through your pictures, ha.

    Keep up the good work!

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  14. Beautiful garden! The soil in your raised beds looks so rich. What mix do you use and what do you fertilize with and how often?

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  15. I'm growing brussel sprouts and broccoli and I have yet to see heads in either of the plants. I hope soon!

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  16. Hi Beth- I started my brussel sprouts from seeds in early March. I also bought a few transplants but the ground hogs got them all. :(

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  17. Spiderjohn - I didn't use a mix. I just amended the original soil with some good compost. Also, I generally use a slow release organic fertilizer like plantone when planting and nothing else.

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  18. It's too hot for me to plant my fall garden for a few more weeks, but I'm planning spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, leeks, lots of turnips, beets, and snow peas.

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  19. Beautiful fall garden, thanks for the tour.

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