December's Garden (2021)

This past month has been extremely busy due to big changes.  Dustin accepted a job in Chattanooga which is a 2 1/2 hour drive away and has moved out.  He will obviously not be eating here daily so my garden plans have changed...again.  To avoid waste, I have been sharing freely and focusing on harvesting the varieties that can't handle the bitter cold. 

Gifts for friends

Empty spots are appearing so raked leaves from the big oak tree in the front yard are being spread over the garden.

All of the radishes which were growing between the corn stalk roots at the base of the one remaining support fence have been harvested. A few were beginning to rot so it was time to move them to the refrigerator. There might be other ways to store them but there is plenty of room in my fridge - Dustin took all of the food.

Garlic bulbs were squeezed between the radish roots last month and they have already begun to sprout.  Come spring, onion bulbs will be added, and then later something vining will be planted to grow up the fence. 

One hoop house has been taken down and the other one at the far end of this row will come down in a few days. These were the mixed plants from the saved assorted unknown seeds which had been broadcast during the late summer. Most were finished producing. That still leaves me with 12 hoop houses.

Right now the cool weather crops are being harvested. Tsa Tsai is a mustard green that has a round bulb at the base of the stem which can be eaten along with the leaves. When grown last spring, it had a stronger flavor but became milder in the cooler weather.  However, even though it is not extremely spicy, we still don't like it and are giving it to mustard-loving friends. This is the last time it will be grown.  The stems and bulbs have begun to split from the freezing weather.

Anything with a thick stem like bok choy or napa cabbages won't last much longer.

My preference is for variety so I plant a couple of everything. It is how I manage to grow so many different vegetables. At last count, I have seeds for over 20 varieties of Chinese greens alone. That doesn't count the saved seeds which have produced crossed surprises. Buying seeds is my weakness. Two or three of whatever happens to germinate is planted each season and that keeps my meal choices interesting. 

Seeds for this red hybrid cabbage were purchased a few years ago but haven't been for sale since. It is rare for me to buy a hybrid because I can't save the seeds; however, I couldn't resist its color. This fall only one sprouted so the leaves have been used to garnish salads. It turns black when cooked which might be why it isn't sold anymore. It can get much bigger if not snipped constantly.

Katsuona is another of the unusual vegetables in my garden.

Its leaves have gotten frost burn where they touched the top of the hoop house.  It won't survive much longer either. 

Napa cabbages never live long. They grow fast then either freeze in the winter or bolt in the summer.  These are Chirimen Hakusai Napa Cabbages. There are only two, but it is enough. Next season, a few more seeds will be planted until they no longer germinate. This seed packet has lasted for years.

Golden Beauty Napa Cabbage has been a wonderful discovery and has become one of Bill's favorite salad greens. The flavor is mild and delicious.  

It is green when picked but as the outer leaves are removed, the inner leaves are a pale yellow.  

They are not being shared (Bill's favorite) but are being picked as fast as we can eat them.  They don't seem able to handle temperatures below the '30s because their outer leaves freeze and rot.  Even with the protection of a hoop house, they suffer. This is how they look now, pretty rough. The slimy outer leaves have been removed to avoid attracting slugs. 

Last month's disastrous broccoli/lettuce/collard bed is still a disaster.  The experiment to find a nontoxic poison (nontoxic to humans but lethal to ants) continues.  I dug out the huge ant mound because it had killed most of the plants in the middle area. 

The back part of the bed is in better shape.

Most of the Landis Winter lettuce didn't survive my excavations but what few did, seem to be past their prime. There is a later sprouting one in another part of the garden and it is doing much better.  Planting times should have been staggered. It seems I must figure out when to plant them in my zone so they will make it through my winter.

The assorted broccoli and Cascade Glaze Collards will be harvested deep in the winter after the less hardy vegetables are gone.

There was a surprise in the back area of the garden in front of the shed.  Last fall (2020), a potato was planted to see if a second crop was possible in my 7a garden zone - it isn't - everything died in the winter. However, this past spring (2021) one potato left in the soil sprouted and grew under the okra plants producing these potatoes. They were discovered when we were spreading the horse manure.

Now I am wondering if this area would be best for growing potatoes.  Perhaps the shade will keep them from dying in the summer heat so they can produce more.  I don't know but the plan right now is to put potatoes in the back of the garden. 

The cool weather crops will soon be gone and we will begin harvesting hardier cold weather vegetables.  Our diets will once again completely change.  Change - it seems to be the only thing constant in my life right now.

Last Month's November Garden (2020)

Through The Garden Gate