This is my submission to Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres. Harvests are generally slow at this time of the season but the perennials are starting to kick in. I did not post last Monday but the picture above should have been posted then. I've harvested a second batch of rhubarb this week as well. The first batch was used to make the rhubarb syrup I posted about Saturday (the second batch frozen for later use).
I've also had more asparagus here and there. I don't get more than a few spears at any one time so no reason to take a pic. And it turns out that I have asparagus beetles for the first time (at least the first time I've noticed) - in both asparagus beds on opposite sides of the house. Here is what a few of the spears look like as a result ... actually the picture doesn't do it justice, the affected spears are pretty much brown and lifeless.
I've been picking them off as there aren't too many but I obviously didn't catch them soon enough.
And the first harvest from an annual this season comes from a kale plant that I started indoors along with the rest of the brassica starters (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) and transplanted out about a few weeks ago. Just a few leaves but enough to do something with!
I am really looking forward to some rain although there isn't much in the forecast. I can manage watering my garden but farmers must be hurting with the hot and dry spring we've had.
Maybe I'd like rhubarb mixed with bourbon! Could be a reason to grow it. I too saw asparagus beetles yesterday. No end to the tortures.
ReplyDeleteTorture, indeed.
DeleteToo bad about the asparagus beetles, we have them here as well. It seems if you plant asparagus, they will come! I wish I had rhubarb to try your syrup. I had to replant mine - again. I am hoping third time is a charm. So I am happy to see your rhubarb photo whenever you post it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI will definitely show a photo soon, I have several plants at varying levels of maturity.
DeleteI'm always intrigued about growing rhubarb, but never no what to do with it. Now I can add mixing it with bourbon to the list of possible uses.
ReplyDeleteA friend told me she visited a garage sale on the weekend where a little girl had a "lemonade" type stand and was selling rhubarb syrup - on her sign was a list of uses including, "great on ice cream, mixed with yogurt or good with gin". LOL
DeleteYikes - I'm not sure I've heard of asparagus beetles. Better keep an eye out! And that's some nice looking kale. Isn't it great when we switch over to garden greens?
ReplyDeleteI had only seen the asparagus beetle in photos at a recent gardening seminar. The comment was that at least some pests are specific to certain veggies and don't just eat everything. I hope I heard that right so maybe they'll leave other stuff alone.
DeleteWow, it seems like there's endless variety in the world of pests, asparagus beetles are new to me. Your kale looks perfect!
ReplyDeleteYes, the list of pests never seems to end! And thanks, I did think those kale leaves were pretty nice looking ...
DeleteYour brassicas must be doing really well, the kale leaves look great. That's really awful about the asparagus beetles. I wonder if there's anything you can do about them.
ReplyDeleteMy broccoli isn't doing nearly as well as last year, we weren't able to amend with composted rabbit manure this year. Mark from Mark's Veg Plot mentioned amending with rock dust so I've been reading about that.
Too bad they found you. Asparagus beetles are a scourge here and one of the reasons I don't grow the stuff anymore. I have not seen them damage spears but they will strip the ferns bare and leave just skeletons.
ReplyDelete