STARTING OUR SPRING VEGGIE GARDEN STAGE 5

My spinach is already bolting -- we just grow spinach in the winter in Alabama instead of saving it! Same with cabbage. Broccoli is a lost cause here, I think. Is your section of Oregon mild and overcast that lets you grow it in the summer?

Last Fall stayed warm way into Nov. I thought winter might last longer but I had no idea it would last into May in Texas! I wouldn't be surprised if it does it again. I have no expectations of a shorter summer, I hope I'm wrong.

Nicole-bee lives in a beautiful location on the coast. It's chilly and foggy a lot of the time. I just remember what it did to my hair! She's in a higher zone bc it doesn't get as cold or as hot as we do. I'm surprised you can't grow broccoli, I grow it here and never cover it no matter how cold it gets.

I've been out in the garden a lot the past few days, weeding and cleaning. I already did spring garden cleaning, but it's been a bumper season for weeds like violets with all the cool weather and rain. I still have to re-weed the corn and a couple of empty beds, but I'm getting close.

Warm weather has sent the spinach and turnips bolting, but the iceberg lettuce is just wilted. I pulled those out this morning. Romaine is hanging in there and is still tasty and not yet bitter. I wish I knew what variety, but it was a seed swap and it was only labelled "green romaine." The "Southern Giant" mustard is also still doing well.

Radishes are gone, but I'm getting a few peas and strawberries now.

The forecast this weekend is a moving target. I planted the tomatoes yesterday since they were saying a low of 50F... but this morning they are back down to 45F. Arg. Better get out the rowcover.

NicoleC,
Start the broccoli inside, then, when it gets sizable (at least 6-8 TRUE leaves, and about 8-10" tall) plant it out. They'll look like tiny trees!

Try to time it so that they are fairly large (for a seedling) by the time your fall temps start dropping around 60-55°. It'll take off fast, growing inTO your cold weather.

Broccoli can withstand temps down to around 42° without damage. A hoop that you could cover with some perforated plastic sheeting will help tremendously with wind. It's not the cold so much as the wind that needs to be in check.

You can do it!

Linda

Thanks, Linda.

By the time our daytime temps are 55-60F -- it's winter and usually below 40 at night. I'm not alone. The market gardeners and CSA's don't grow it here either. Sometimes you have to pick your battles.

At 99 cents a pound (or less), I can buy a whole lot of broccoli for the time and expense of starting stuff indoors and babying it!

GymGirl---Do you cut the central head of your broccoli and then let the side shoots grow? I have gotten lots of extra meals from a plant by doing that. Fall broc. tastes best in the cold weather as do most of the brassicas, I think. I started my Brussels Sprouts already but won't plant them out until July. I won't see a meal until late Oct. I started a new one to me, though, and am not sure of the timing. It is called Cherry Hill. Brussels go all winter here. I just go out and pick them of the central stock, as many as needed, and let the plant keep growing.
But, you are right about the climate here. We can grow broc, and cabbage here all year around. I am growing a variety of spinach called Summer Spinach. Hope it works, 'cause we do get bolting, but i have to try because i love it so much.

Yes, Bee!

Last season I got some amazing side shoots from the ARCADIA Broccoli variety. It is at the top of my Broccoli list!

But Cauliflower leaves sauteed in a bit of butter, olive oil, minced garlic and S&P are just WONDERFUL!

I'm not quite sold on the broccoli leaves...they take a longer process to cook, and I just haven't given them that chance yet...maybe after the next fall/wtr season.

My Beefsteak tomato actually has little tomatoes on it. The plant is taller than the cage already.

My Mule Team tomatoes are bigger than tangerines, and there're plenty of them!

But, I have encountered tomato worms and Leaf Footed Stinkbugs!

I sprayed Bt Friday evening for the worms, and we had a gully washer Saturday....
I sprayed Bt yesterday evening for the worms, and this morning we had a gully washer...

I'm cutting grass today...LOL!

I know how that goes, after you cut the grass it won't rain for a month. The grass will die, and in the mean time the worms will have destroyed the Tomatoes.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I never cover any of my Cole crops and they have made it down into the 20s. I have radishes a beets growing now. What a crazy season, no open blooms on my tomatoes but it's supposed to get into the 30s tonight. It's too windy too cover.

I agree Nichole we have to pick our battles.

Centerpoint Energy just left. My tree limbs are all caught up in the wires coming to the house. The whipping wind caused the tangle to rip out the metal bracket holding the phone wires. None of the electrical wires were hung up I'm VERY glad to report.

Two of the nicest guys! They got a garden tour by flashlight and a LARGE purple carrot!

Gotta get the tree man out pronto!

I've found you can eat most all of the leaves from your veggies. Except tomato leaves. They're poisonous...

Beet greens are the BOMB!!!! I now grow beets for the tops more than for the bottoms, although I do love the bottoms, too!

Turnip, collard, & mustard greens

Swiss Chard (I hated this until my neighbor cooked me some of her standard green chard -- it was delicious -- same as with the cauliflower leaves) I had been cooking the "rainbow" chard, which has a decidedly different taste than the plain old green. I like the green much better.

Gymgirl - I'm glad you mentioned that the green chard tasted better than rainbow chard. I grew the rainbow and didn't like the flavor at all. Which is a shame, because it grew all one winter, through the following summer and through the next winter. It looked so pretty I didn't like pulling it up!

I shop at Trader Joe's and they carry two kinds of kale - one I like and one I don't. It's weird how the same kind of vegetables can taste so different.

Hey, Bee!

At some point I will return to growing Rainbow Chard as an ornamental in my edible landscaping.

How do you cook the Beet greens? Like you would cook spinach?

Yesterday I planted my pepper plants so now both my tomatoes and peppers are planted.

Yes, you cook beet greens exactly the same way as spinach.

Thanks. I used to grow beets, love those beet roots but I never thought to cook the greens. This year no beets but I might get some seed next trip to the nursery.

I am trying to get more easily grown things that I can use in veggie soup. I love to make veggie soup but in the winter it is heavy on root veggies that I buy in the store (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, onions, celery). I need some items to use for summer veggie soup. I will have zucchini, eggplant, beans but need leafy greens I think.

HoneyBee...Which kale do you like and which do you not like? I have trouble with kale.( The chickens like it, though.) I read recipes that sound good but really are not....t.o me, anyway. I know that kale is so very healthy, so I would love to find one that I like. It is one veg that we should grow in the fall, I guess, because it isn't very good in hot weather, not even here. The secrets of kale mystify me.

beebonnet - It's Tuscan Kale. They sell it fresh. The frozen Dwarf Siberian kale is the one I don't like.

http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=740

Tuscan kale is great and it's easy to grow. It's cut and come again. It's pretty as well as great tasting,

The rest of my garden is going in TOMORROW! No more waiting on the weather! Soon everything will be fried.

Is anyone still sowing seeds??

I had not really planned on it but if the Armadillos keep digging up my plants I may have to sow some more!

Yes, I'm still sowing seeds and planting plants. I have most of the tomatoes planted but no eggplant or peppers the temps haven't been high enough. I haven't sown any melon, okra or any other heat loving plants. It was 39* here Friday AM. Even the bush beans are slow to germinate.

My tomatoes are huge, and some have a slight blush already. If I can keep the Bt ON the leaves (rain), I might have a chance against the worms.

This message was edited May 4, 2013 3:05 PM

Wanted to share. Black fuzzy, aka black stinging asp. Not an eastern tent caterpillar. 2- one of the leaffooted bug instars. 3- i forget the name of this flying thing 4- my poor onions just abt to get soaped...

I guess I won't be setting my Romano bean seedlings outside, as they've decided to do a turbo growth and grow through the lattice wall of the inside greenhouse. They're all the way up to the ceiling now, and bearing beans. I did plant some onions brocolli, peas, and cabbage outside, though. Still have some freezes coming. The garlic's about 4 inches tall in the straw bales. The Kentucky wonder beans are going to town, too, so will have to decide what to do with them. The leaves on the Romano beans are huge and it's making a beautiful house plant, lol.

Ohh, I wish you had pictures!

Bt a pwdr or spray? If a spray use a drop of dawn dishsoap and it slows the rain down and lets the Bt stick around longer

The Romano Bean escape.

I hear that bean howling from here for more sun! Chuckl!

Yep, and the plants already filled up over half the window inside the greenhouse.

Yes, gymgirl, I still have a box of this year's seeds to start.