August 1, 2016

Harvest Monday, 8/1/16

We are very excited by the first of the broccoli, hopefully they will have a long season since there's 5 varieties planted in the garden. Again, it's Waltham that is first to produce. There's also Jimmy Nardello peppers and Santa Fe Grande peppers. And the first paste tomato is San Marzano Redorta. I'm still picking tomatoes a bit under ripe trying to keep them from the critters.

With the influx of tomatoes I plan on making sauce and canning this weekend and maybe roast some for the freezer.
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, and snap beans keep trickling in. We have 4 varieties of yellow summer squash planted including a couple hybrids, but they haven't done much since the vine borers attacked. The beans are used in stir fries and dishes for our little one.
And the first kohlrabi. I was wrong, the really ripe Ginkaku melon is actually awesome when well chilled, and they keep forever in the fridge. So good. The eggplants are starting to ripen at a steadier pace. I plan on freezing some marinated grilled eggplant for the winter.

It's been raining regularly, about 10 inches for the month of July as I've been told. It's a great time of year with lots of cooking and harvesting from the garden. The wax melon plants are running wild and I have high hopes for their future. Even as my dreams for winter squash go out with a whimper as August moves in.

August is when I'll start clearing the zucchini and summer squash beds, and clearing off the bush beans and pole bean trellises to make room for fall plantings like snap peas and snow peas. Lettuce, fennel, beets, spinach, and a plethora of greens will need to be started by the end of August so they'll be bigger when they get planted out in September. There's lots to do and lots to look forward to.

Please join us at Harvest Monday, where gardeners far and wide gather to share their vegetable adventures.

16 comments:

Sue Garrett said...

You have a really colourful harvest. We are still waiting to harvest most of the things you show here - except the zucchini/courgettes.

Dave @ HappyAcres said...

It sounds like a pleasant surprise on that melon! And it looks like you have a great variety of goodies coming in from the garden. It's a busy time in the garden for sure, switching over to fall crops. I'm about ready to start planting some of mine.

Susie said...

That first picture has such a great mix of veggies! I did not grow Jimmy Nardello this year and seeing yours, I am missing out. Will be sure to get some next year.

Lots of summer left as you suggested ... plenty of things to look forward to on top of what you've already been harvesting!

gardenvariety-hoosier said...

That's a lot of rain in a month. Amazing that you are getting cole crops this time of year. I don't plant fall crops, the garden goes into shade in September and they don't make it.

norma chang said...

Yep, it is a busy time of year in the garden, transitioning to fall planting on top of harvesting, preserving, ... but it is good busy and I am enjoying every bit of it as winter if not too far off.

Julie said...

That is a lot of rain! We didn't have very much in July. Looks like you are getting lots of harvests. I'm impressed you are harvesting broccoli now, mine finished a month ago and the fall ones won't go in until the end of August.

k said...

You really are getting some great harvests. And enough tomatoes to start canning! That's too bad about your winter squash, but it sounds like you have quite a fall garden planned.

Margaret said...

Wonderful harvests, Phuong! I especially love the first photo with that bowl full of tomatoes. Mine are just starting to come in - I harvested the first of the large(r) ones yesterday, a yellow Taxi tomato. I'm still at least a couple of weeks away from canning though.

Phuong said...

Hi Sue,
It's been wonderful having a well stocked fridge with plenty of choices for cooking. Summer vegetables are a pleasure, but I'm pretty excited for fall and cooler weather which will be more conducive to gardening.

Phuong said...

Hi Dave,
I'm really happy that the melons have been productive this year, it's taken me a long time to learn to give them plenty of room. I used to plant them in groups or hills, but it doesn't seem to work out as well.

A friend was showing me her watermelon she picked this weekend, 25 pounds and she's got lots of other ones ripening. I told her needed to start making watermelon wine.

Phuong said...

Hi Susie,
I'm very happy the Jimmy Nardello peppers were able to set a few fruit before the heat hit. I've been saving them so we could try a large batch of them. It's actually the first time we've ever grown it, but it seems just as productive as the other varieties.

Phuong said...

Hi Mike,
That's too bad that your garden is so shaded in autumn. The cooler weather just makes for a nicer gardening experience.

Phuong said...

Hi Norma,
I'm pretty happy that fall is creeping up. I'll start clearing some of the beds this weekend, and hopefully get some seeds planted.

Phuong said...

Hi Julie,
We actually got 3.5 inches of rain on the 1st of August, and Draffenville, KY, got 18 inches last month. I'm happy for the rain as long as it doesn't flood.

Your garden is doing so great! I bet you're very busy processing all those vegetables.

Phuong said...

Hi K,
Our falls are incredibly long with 80 degree weather usually through October and the first hard freeze at the end of November. So fall gardening is definitely something to look forward to.

Phuong said...

Hi Margaret,
That's so great that your big tomatoes are starting to come in, it's just the beginning. The squirrels have discovered the cherry tomatoes, I'm so bummed I just love cooking with them and now all I get is a small bowlful a week.