Monday 7 September 2015

Harvest Monday: September 7, 2015


This has been such an amazing growing season with plenty of heavy rains in between many hot days.  This weekend is no exception with the humidity hitting 40 Celsius yesterday and again today.  It is expected to break somewhat tomorrow with some showers. 

The heat loving plants are doing very well.  Especially those in my greenhouse!  So thanks to Alex at Lexis Greenhouses who helped me with the purchase and shipment as I have been completely thrilled with this extension of my garden!


This has, without question, been the most success I have had with growing peppers (both sweet and hot).  I've never really had a problem growing jalapenos, but good heavens, I think my yield has quadrupled from just the one plant in the greenhouse. 


In the picture above (clockwise from upper left):  King of the North, Jimmy Nardello, Hungarian Hot Wax, more Jalapenos, Sweet Pickle.

The Sweet Pickles are very productive but many of the earlier peppers were very small.  Lately though I've been getting peppers about 2 inches which is more the expected size.  They are a lovely plant with so many colours all at once.


And here is another variety that is growing in the greenhouse: Hinkelhatz!  I've had a few of these which I've just thrown in with jalapenos in previous harvests but I've now got them coming in faster.  Hinkelhatz is an heirloom pepper cultivated by the Pennsylvania Dutch and was traditionally used for pepper vinegar or hot sauce (which is exactly what I'll be using them to make).


I cleaned out quite a bit of the escarole (using Daphne's method of cleaning greens outside in a large tub).   This is over two pounds which I blanched and froze.



And another cabbage with several more to be harvested later this week.


And potatoes.  These are fingerlings, but I am trying to clean up the potato patch so have also harvested Yukon Gold and the few Russian Blue that are left in the ground.


Ooh, and more of these lovely mouse melons, so glad that I'm finally getting a few of these to nibble on.



As for these onions ... well, none have been intentionally pulled and these are accidental pulls during weeding.  But the onions in the ground aren't looking much better.  Sigh.  I keep thinking I will just give up growing onions but then I keep trying with the same results. 



I'm looking forward to seeing what other gardeners have on the go this week over at Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday collection!  See you over there!




8 comments:

  1. Those pepper look amazing! I would love to get a greenhouse someday...wonder if that's too big a wish list item for my birthday ;)

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    1. My first response would be that NOTHING is too big for a bday wish list! But seriously, a greenhouse is a great investment both for the value (extension) it adds to the growing season but surely it adds to property value?? Hmm ... would be awful to sell my house to someone who doesn't want it.

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  2. I'm glad to hear your greenhouse is doing well for you. I know I get so much use and value from mine. And don't feel bad about those onions. I'm ready to give up on them too! I can grow garlic, but not onions.

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    1. Onions, ugh, right?! I really look forward to learning how to properly take advantage of the greenhouse. I messed up a bit in that I didn't save any "greens" seeds (spinach, arugula) to try out a late fall harvest in the greenhouse. All I had that I thought would work in the greenhouse bed were beets and chard. Next year I'll plan better. It seems to me rather than ending my growing season in late October (frost hits early in these parts) I should be able to keep some things going into December. I think!

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  3. I always thought of greenhouses as an off-season thing, but you are having outstanding success, and maybe avoiding all the things that seem to be plaguing the rest of us. I love all the different types of peppers.

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  4. You are doing a great job with the peppers. The greenhouse should be able to extend them at least a month. To have greens into the winter, you have to get them growing strongly before cold weather. The greenhouse/cold frame will hold them into early winter but they will grow slowly if at all.

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  5. Your peppers and other veg look really fab. Glad I joined in on Harvest Monday today!

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  6. Lovely harvests. I keep trying to grow cabbage in the fall. It is supposed to be easier than the spring, but a good fall head continually eludes me. The aphids just take over. I keep spraying them though.

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