2009 Harvest

It's a gloomy, rainy day here in New Mills, so I thought I'd total up our year's harvest (including a few items collected elsewhere). Not bad, really.

Sorry the spreadsheet screenprint below is a bit blurry. All quantities are in grams. There are 1000 grams to the kilo (2.2 pounds, for the metrically challenged). I didn't keep track of everything, but most things are included.

(click for sharper image)
In summary,

• 14.2 kilos of potatoes (about 31 pounds)
• 4.4 kilos of various types of greens (about 9.7 pounds)
• 7.3 kilos of cucurbits -- mostly courgettes (about 14.6 pounds)
• 4.1 kilos of beans (about 9 pounds)
• 3 kilos of other stuff, including 1.65 kilos of strawberries (which didn't do very well) (about 6.6 pounds)
• Grand total from our garden - 33.2 kilos or 73 pounds of food.

Considering the haphazard way I did things this year, and the fact that almost everything was grown in containers, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

We are still eating the stored potatoes and fresh greens growing under a polytunnel out back.

My goal for next year is to double production (66 kilos, or 145 pounds of food.) I won't cheat and do it by doubling the potatoes. In fact, I intend to grow about the same quantity of potatoes next year as I did this year.

More good news -- it looks like we may have an allotment next year, with the co-operation of the local council, our local allotment society plans to start a second site. We can grow more potatoes out there. :-)

Early August Back Garden Update

We had two weeks solid of rain in the second half of July. The back garden courgettes did better than the front garden ones (which have pretty much succombed to powdery mildew). While you can see the brown leaves on these plants, they produced a little during the rainy weeks, and are now back in full production.

A new cluster of flowers has come into production on each plant.

I didn't expect to leave the kale going for this long, especially without any protection from the cabbage whites, but it continues to produce new leaves every week. The white butterflies have reached a new peak this week. I saw five at once fluttering around the garden.

The texture is fine for stir fry, if finely chopped, and for soups and stews. A bit too tough and coarse for salads.

The fennel is massive. I gave away 10 or 12 small baby plants to passers-by, so the whole town will probably be covered in fennel next year :-)


The buckwheat is flowering, so we'll see how long it takes for seeds to form. I think I'll try planting them a bit more densely next year.

The strawberries are at the end of their season. The rain meant we lost probably a dozen to mould. I've moved them out of the netted area now.


The cabbages are under the netting now, but are also getting attacked by the cabbage whites. Unfortunately, the netting over it isn't really meant for insect protection, so the butterflies do find their way in.


I'm waiting to see if the broad beans will start producing again. We had quite a harvest, and then production dropped right off during the rains.

This is some sorrel for salads. I've not tasted it yet, but it's supposed to be a bit tart and lemony. The smaller plants are some amaranth that unfortunately never got planted out.

The warm weather in early July caused all the greens to bolt. The borecole is also extremely attractive to the cabbage whites. I've started new plants in the house, so perhaps I'll be better about netting them properly.

Early July Back Garden Update

Early July Front Garden Update

We had our first rain all week today. It was quite heavy at times, and a relief after the relatively hot, dry days. After it was over, I went out to take some pictures.

It's gone a bit jungle-like out there! Some of the runner beans have climbed to the top of their poles (only 6 foot).


The latest additions are some quinoa and grain amaranth plants (in the square pots in the front). I've never grown either before, so this is a real experiment.


The courgettes have really taken off, and are now starting to flower.


The potato forest is getting quite large. Some of the lower leaves are turning yellow. I'm wondering if they're using up all the nutrients in the soil. I've started supplementing all the plants with a seaweed root drench every week.


Despite their scuffy appearance, the nasturiums are putting out masses of flowers, which is bringing the bees in.

The black square pots have cucumbers and melon. Unfortunately, I've forgotten whether I've made a problem for myself if these things cross-pollinate. I know I can't save the seeds but I can't remember if the fruit will taste funny (assuming I get any!) They're starting to put out tendrils.

Butternut Squash Oddity

The pictures below are not of anything I grew myself, but rather an organic butternut squash that I bought from one of our local shops.

The pictures may look a bit gruesome, but these are the seeds and the rest of insides of the squash. We were amazed to see that some of the seeds had sprouted and were growing inside the squash. I've never seen anything like this before.

What's really interesting is the way the seedlings are greening up even though they had not been exposed to light before the squash was cut open.

Amazing!

Stir Fry

I realised that I'm only putting in pictures of what I'm growing, and not what I'm harvesting. Here's tonight's stir fry ingredients (except the strawberries!) That's kale, rhubarb chard, spinach, perpetual spinach, komatsuna, and spring onions.

I've adapted a stir fry recipe from the Guardian to suit us. My variation serves 2:

• 3-4 free range eggs
• 2-3 spring onions
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp diced ginger
• 2 tbsp sesame oil (or veg oil)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Chopped greens to suit (150g shown in picture)
  
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1. Mix eggs, spring onions, onion, soy sauce, ginger in a bowl and stir with a fork.
2. Heat oil in wok until oil shimmers.
3. Toss in sesame seeds, cook until they start popping.
   
4. Add egg mix and stir with a spatula until egg holds together.
   
5. Toss in greens and cook lightly (colour will change and deepen).
6. Add rice and mix thoroughly.
   

Mid June Back Garden Update

Things are picking up out back. The borage is a bee magnet. Next year, I'll plant more in bigger pots.


The long view down toward the wall. The bronze fennel next to the spirea is getting huge. We have bits of it with fish sometimes.


The courgettes are picking up a bit. While the one on the far end is flowering, it seems like the female flowers aren't getting pollinated a lot of the time. The water jugs are to moderate the temperature. They warm up during the day and give off warmth at night.


Looks good, but not much of a courgette glut yet!


Turning toward the bottom of the garden, I've put the weaker strawberries up where they'll get more sun. They are doing better, although I'm still cutting off all the flowers. The kale continues to produce lots of leaves. We've had several stir fries off them, and they're still producing.


The spring onions are almost big enough to harvest. I also planted some buckwheat around the same area, just to see what it looks like.


This picture shows the canes we're using to support netting between the plastic greenhouse and the coldframe. We also put fleece over it when it was cold.


The centeflor tomatoes are getting big inside the greenhouse. I've been babying them a bit.


In the centre "pen" we've got strawberries and tomatoes.


A few red cabbages tucked in between the tomatoes and strawberries.


The broad bean corner is next to the fence. I'm not one for flowers, but the scent is heavenly!


The komatsuna has gone to seed, but the leaf shape and flowers are nice, so I've left them for the bees. The comfrey plant I salvaged is tucked in at the bottom of the picture.


Toward the bottom of the garden, we've got the sheltered areas.


In the coldframe, young quinoa and amaranth and cucurbits.


Got some more carrots growing with a bit of protection.

Bits and pieces in the aluminium coldframe.



These lettuces are almost done for, although the cloche has kept them from going to seed.


A bit of borecole kale, also protected a bit.

More carrots, kale and spinach.