Friday's harvest

I pulled a few turnips, kohlrabi and radishes. The potatoes are two different kinds and there were more, I had already taken them to the house but when I got the camera, I brought a few back for the photo. The dark spots are dirt. I tried growing them in straw, but the winds blew the whole plant over and damaged the stems so I piled dirt around them. The next planting was done in a trench then filled with compost immediately. Those plants are much stronger. The tomato is my first from the beefsteak seeds I planted the first of November. The plants are loaded with fruit. I have to pick the fruit while it's still a little green because of a pesky mockingbird that thinks she owns the whole garden. She can tell when a fruit is ripening and sits on the fence waiting. She can also tell when the papayas are ripe. I let her eat most of those because I don't really like them.

I'm still getting broccoli from the plants. I cut the main head out the end of January. The plants have lots of side shoots. The main heads were 8-10 inches across. I have no idea what kind of broccoli it is. The tag just said "broccoli" and they're from a little local nursery.

Calalily, Envy, Envy..It's must be nice to live in the Valley/South Texas and be able to garden year round...such beautiful veggies.

I'm beginning to get crowded out here at the lake - time to cash out. You know, from the overflow from San Antonio and Austin. So, for my next move I will be thinking about a couple acres in the Valley area.

Keep the pictures coming.

Jerry

lookin' good Cala! I'm cutting the last heads of Green Goliath broccoli tomorrow--figure that will be perfect timing after the frost tonight.

Spring is just a very short turn of the wheel away!
Debbie

Jerry, you will love the Valley. It takes a little while to figure out when to plant things, but the climate is perfect in winter for lots of vegetables. Over toward McAllen there are lots of truck farms that grow vegetables for market.
Debbie, I keep thinking spring is here, then we have that dreaded north wind and the temps fall one more time. I will have to check into Green Goliath broccoli.

It's great for winter veggie's here too. I haven't lost a thing this winter!

Hey Calalily and Debbie!

Cala: Your turnips look great! I'm currently growing the purple tops and have a question you both can answer. My turnip roots are sitting above the soil. The long taproot? goes into the ground, but the roots aren't underground like the carrots and beets. Did I plant them too shallowly, and should I go deeper next time? Thank goodness they're still growing, and getting bigger and bigger.

Also, they aren't growing round, per se, but have more of a bratwurst shape. Short, oblong, stocky. They have a beautiful color to them. I planted the seedlings out the weed of Thanksgiving.

DMJ1218: I'd like to grow these again in the Fall. Would September 15th be too early to set out seedlings again?

Thanks!

Linda

seems all you folks are from texas so all i can say as a new yorker is that as soon as the snow melts and the sun shines i will start garfdening. LOL

i do have some ultra hot peppers and eggplants gong right now.

great pictures.

can you really garden all year long in south padre island tx. ??

I got the last 5 heads of Goliath broccoli this afternoon. Cooked one for dinner while waiting for camera batteries to charge though. Got close to freezing the last 2 nights here (34 last night, 35 Sun am) but its supposed to hit 80 this week. I've about pushed the limit and I don't even want them to think about bolting--I hate bitter, or even slightly bitter, lettuces or brassica's. Seed's on those were sown outside10/19--that's pushing the envelope here but it worked this winter. I often push it--I have 1' high pole beans that dodged the bullet this weekend. I'm sorta good at intuitively knowing what I can get away with after 25 years of it. ;)

I'm going to miss the cold season veggie's--I'm really into lettuces and such. Just another turn of the wheel and it will be fall again!

Wow Deb, that broccoli looks great, I can't wait to try cole crops this fall, although I do plan on trying lettuces this summer. Hope it works...It's not as hot and humid as it gets in Houston here.

its not the humidity--lettuce loves humidity--its the heat it hates. I've still got lettuce, but they are half grown--here are the smallest ones. Hard to take a good pic in the dark--and its real dark back in that corner.

so funny, my good neighbor who lives next door is out on his patio drinking beer and listening to the game--yells over the fence at me, "What are you out takin' pictures of your daffodils at night for ?"
gotta love 'em; all he grows are oranges, tomatoes, turf grass, and live oaks....

Ok, Deb...I get it....tough love, right?

Debbie, beautiful broccoli and lettuces. My first plantings of romaine have bolted but the new ones are still growing. We will be 80's then 60's then 80's. all the time.
Linda, turnip roots grow partially above ground. I plant my seeds about 1/2 inch deep. I'll see if I have a close up pic of them growing. Sometimes they grow longer and blocky, but most of mine are round. I'm not sure what would cause that. Do you have them a bit crowded? I'm pretty bad about planting stuff too close together.
Herbie, I'm thinking about the eggplants and peppers you've got started! Those are two things that will grow in summer here. We can grow year round, many things do best started in fall and grown thru winter and spring. In summer, we can grow melons, eggplants and hot peppers. Cucumbers do pretty good if they get enough water and some cherry tomatoes will still set fruit. It's not that it's so hot during the day, I don't think we got to 100 last summer, it's that it doesn't cool off at night.

Thanks, Lily!

I wondered if I did something wrong in the planting. And, yes, they are probably too close together. I'll start thinning them out this weekend, as I'd like to cook some of the tender greens.

Linda--
you wrote:
DMJ1218: I'd like to grow these again in the Fall. Would September 15th be too early to set out seedlings again?

I have no idea what "these" are--it's not a matter of tough love. I sent you a chart with when to plant about everything there is and you still keep dmailing about what you should be planting. I just don't understand your questions all the time.
=)

It's ok. I was referring to purple top turnips.

Well Cala, what's going on down your way on this lovely 84F day today?I pulled a couple of short rows of carrots today to see if they were good to go--I need the space for spring veggie's. Carrot tops make great mulch too I think--not much can grow up between them if you alternate them.

Short row of Nantes half long--another good thing about pulling carrots is they leave nice big holes and loose soil behind for deep planting tomatoes.

I think all the heirloom carrots taste a bit better if picked on the small size.

And a short row of Amarillo--they definitely are yellow carrots. All the rest of both of these kinds of carrots are coming out of the garden tomorrow--along with the Purple Haze carrots.

I think I'll start an edible landscape photo album on my FB page--see if I can't get some help over here to process these carrots at night this weekend. Its amazing how your friends and family will come around and help when they know you have fresh organic vegetables for free--lol

Debbie, I love the looks of those Nantes carrots! Do you like Purple Haze? I was a chicken and didn't order any.
I've found it amazing how many "friends" I have since I've started growing vegetables!

Yes I do like purple haze Cala--but not if it gets too large. Actually that's a rule with me on all of the OP's. I had thought maybe I let some of those nantes half's get too large but they were good last night--obviously broccoli and carrots were on the menu.

I really am going to miss the winter veggie's. Tomatoes are nice when they first start coming in--but you sure can't stagger the harvest and I get so sick of processing them. Same with cucumbers and squash. Peppers are manageable. I do really miss filet green beans though. More variety in the winter and easier to deal with; you can harvest as you need.

What are you pulling down your way?
Debbie

Yesterday we pulled turnips, carrots(mini kinko from Johnnys), radishes, onions, kohlrabi and picked broccoli, green beans, lettuce and garden peas. I'll try to get some more pictures posted. We put the tomato cages in for the last two rows of tomatoes. The wind has been blowing non stop for over a week and I'm sooooooooo tired of it. A gentle breeze I could handle, but constant wind of 20-30mph is taking it's toll on the garden. Next year, I'll plan the plantings a little better and let some plants act as wind breaks.
I know what you mean with the tomatoes and cukes, it's either feast or famine here too.

Beautiful! Hard work pays off.