Cabbage:
Overview:
Part of the "cole" or mustard family. Cool weather crop, but a bit fussy, doesn't like it too cold or too hot. Good idea to rotate plants. Not too happy to be in the company of pole beans or strawberries.
Problemas:
The cabbage butterfly, aphids, slugs, and the cabbage root fly - daggone. Covering plants with a row cover after planting can be helpful (cover can be a sheer curtain, or something of that nature). It will prevent butterflies from laying eggs - butterflies are white. Can also try a brassica collar to try and prevent pest damage. Pick off any catapillars, throw them to the moon!
Planting:
Begin 6-8 weeks before last frost. Plant 3-4 weeks before last frost. Allow 10-12" spacing, so in SF that would mean 1 per square. Fall crop can be started 12 weeks before first frost.
Harvesting:
Pull up plant whole, when leaves are tightly packed.
This year I am growing the Copenhagan Market Cabbage (Brassica oleracea). The heads reach 6-8" in diameter, and weigh 3-4 lbs. Medium-sized. 63-100 days from transplant.
Sow indoors 8 weeks before last frost. Thin seedlings when two inches tall and transplant into individual pots. Plant outdoors 24" apart when a light frost is still possible.
Monday, February 21, 2011
New Sprouts
Re-checked the remaining seeds. This is who is the game thus far:
Amish Paste Tomato - 90 percent
Lemon Balm - 70 percent
Cilantro - 80 percent
Long Red Florence Onion - 70 percent
Bull's Blood Beet - 80 percent (awesome red sprouts!)
Paris Market Carrot - 80 percent
Cream of Saskatchewan watermelon - 100 percent!!
Amish Melon - Eighty percent
Yellow Borettanan Onion - 90 percent
Tours Squash - 80 percent
Sweet Genovese Basil - 100 percent!
Still waiting on parsley, cilantro. tomatoes, and a few others.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Pea Investigation
Since babies and children have eaten a good portion of my brain, I decided to devote an informational space for each crop/plant. I am going to put all my info in one spot, so that I can look it up when needed.
So peas, I am talking about snap peas in particular. Not a great fan of peas, but I can do a sugar snap pea. And sweet peas are so lovely.
Overview:
Peas are nifty in that they make their own nitrogen, so it improves the soil as it grows. Rotation is a good idea so that it will improve the soil throughout the bed. Rotation is also helpful to avoid root maggots. Grows best in bright light, but will tolerate a bit of shade. Benefits from compost added at planting time, spray young plants with liquid seaweed, for a nitrogen boost. In the past I have used a trellis for the beans to climb. Giving the bed a good compost layer the fall before the spring plant is helpful. Also, spreading a four inch layer of mulch (use hay or straw) once peas are growing well, will keep the soil cooler and moister, thus lengthening the harvest.
Problemas:
They don't like soggy soil, leads to root or seed rot, do keep an eye out for heavy rain and puddling. Peas burn out as soon as hot weather comes in, shade covers can sometimes help.
When to plant:
Soak hard peas overnight and dip seeds in powdered rhizobia bacteria before planting to increase yields. Direct-sow seeds as soon as soil can be worked. Can plant a second crop in late summer, about three months before first frost.
Spacing:
2-4" apart (for vining)
Harvesting:
Pick snap peas when the pods begin to swell. Should be picked frequently as if they get too big, they are more bitter. Also, it promotes more growth and flowering.
This year I am planting the Amish Snap Pea (Pisum sativum) - SSE:
Pods are 2" and supposedly a heavy producer. My crop last year was weak, I don't think I gave it enough attention, and also wasn't picking it frequently enough. The peas should be harvestable in 60 days. Sow seeds 1/2" to 1" deep with 3" between seed rows. So in SF terms, there will be two per square. I like the idea of using a double-sided trellis, then planting cooler crops - lettuces, spinach, in its shadow (if that makes sense). Saving instructions - Select healthiest plants for seed. ALlow pods to dry on the plant before harvesting and separate seeds by hand. If birds start eating the seeds before the pods are completely dry, then can be harvested slightly green and brought indoors to dry.
Resources:
Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail
Jamie at Home by Jamie Olier
Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman
So peas, I am talking about snap peas in particular. Not a great fan of peas, but I can do a sugar snap pea. And sweet peas are so lovely.
Overview:
Peas are nifty in that they make their own nitrogen, so it improves the soil as it grows. Rotation is a good idea so that it will improve the soil throughout the bed. Rotation is also helpful to avoid root maggots. Grows best in bright light, but will tolerate a bit of shade. Benefits from compost added at planting time, spray young plants with liquid seaweed, for a nitrogen boost. In the past I have used a trellis for the beans to climb. Giving the bed a good compost layer the fall before the spring plant is helpful. Also, spreading a four inch layer of mulch (use hay or straw) once peas are growing well, will keep the soil cooler and moister, thus lengthening the harvest.
Problemas:
They don't like soggy soil, leads to root or seed rot, do keep an eye out for heavy rain and puddling. Peas burn out as soon as hot weather comes in, shade covers can sometimes help.
When to plant:
Soak hard peas overnight and dip seeds in powdered rhizobia bacteria before planting to increase yields. Direct-sow seeds as soon as soil can be worked. Can plant a second crop in late summer, about three months before first frost.
Spacing:
2-4" apart (for vining)
Harvesting:
Pick snap peas when the pods begin to swell. Should be picked frequently as if they get too big, they are more bitter. Also, it promotes more growth and flowering.
This year I am planting the Amish Snap Pea (Pisum sativum) - SSE:
Pods are 2" and supposedly a heavy producer. My crop last year was weak, I don't think I gave it enough attention, and also wasn't picking it frequently enough. The peas should be harvestable in 60 days. Sow seeds 1/2" to 1" deep with 3" between seed rows. So in SF terms, there will be two per square. I like the idea of using a double-sided trellis, then planting cooler crops - lettuces, spinach, in its shadow (if that makes sense). Saving instructions - Select healthiest plants for seed. ALlow pods to dry on the plant before harvesting and separate seeds by hand. If birds start eating the seeds before the pods are completely dry, then can be harvested slightly green and brought indoors to dry.
Resources:
Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail
Jamie at Home by Jamie Olier
Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman
Garden 2011
A new house, a new garden. When faced with a blank slate, I tend to over-do it, so this year I am trying to edit myself. I still have most of my seeds that I bought from last year (from Seed Savers). Right now I am in the process of seeing which ones are good to go. I took ten seeds of each variety and scattered them on a paper towel, folded it over, rolled it up, and the put in a sealed ziploc bag. I labeled each bag with the seed name and date. I put all the bags on top of the fridge (in order to get the seeds warm and comfy), and checked back two days later... And here is who is in the game thus far:
Cabbage (Copenhagan Market Cabbage - all seeds sprouted)
Cucumber (Japanese Climbing Cucumber - all seeds sprouted)
Arugula (all seeds sprouted)
Chard (Five Color Silverbeet - all seeds sprouted)
Broccoli (Calabrese - 8/10 seeds sprouted)
Cauliflower (Early Snowball - all seeds sprouted)
Beans (Provider Beans - all seeds sprouted)
Borage (5/10 sprouted)
Lettuce (Bronze Arrowhead - 8/10 sprouted)
Sunflower (Teddy Bear - all seeds sprouted)
Peas (Amish Snap Peas - all seeds sprouted)
From my reading, anything under fifty percent is pretty much out, so it looks like about half my seeds are good. I am giving the rest a bit longer. Will see what happens.
Cabbage (Copenhagan Market Cabbage - all seeds sprouted)
Cucumber (Japanese Climbing Cucumber - all seeds sprouted)
Arugula (all seeds sprouted)
Chard (Five Color Silverbeet - all seeds sprouted)
Broccoli (Calabrese - 8/10 seeds sprouted)
Cauliflower (Early Snowball - all seeds sprouted)
Beans (Provider Beans - all seeds sprouted)
Borage (5/10 sprouted)
Lettuce (Bronze Arrowhead - 8/10 sprouted)
Sunflower (Teddy Bear - all seeds sprouted)
Peas (Amish Snap Peas - all seeds sprouted)
From my reading, anything under fifty percent is pretty much out, so it looks like about half my seeds are good. I am giving the rest a bit longer. Will see what happens.
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