Archive for the category “Harvests”

07 Dec 2012
2 Comments

Pruning = Harvest

The best way for a home gardener to get the best out of their leafy greens is the ‘cut and come again’ method.
This method is practiced by cutting a few of the outer leaves of each plant while leaving around 2/3 of the plant. This allows the plant to force new leaves to grow and not resort to flowering very soon. If you leave your plant for a long time without pruning (cutting) it will slow its growth down and begin to flower.

Weekly harvest

Weekly harvest

In a large enough garden, you can gather all of the pruning which will give you back more leaves in a matter of days, and turn it into a harvest. This is how I always harvest my leafy greens to get them to live longer and produce faster.

Cut and come again method

Cut and come again method for Pak Choi

Cut and come again method

Cut and come again method for Mustard
Cut and come again for Arugula

Cut and come again for Arugula

 

Just cut a few of the outer leaves, leaving the plant still strong enough to create more leaves. Never strip away your plant.

Weekly harvest

Weekly harvest

 

Posted in Harvests and tagged ,
07 Dec 2012
1 Comment

Snaps From The Garden

Today, the weather is beautiful with bright sunshine and a cool breeze, this weather is tomatoes’ favorite, so I’m happy to see tomatoes responding well to the sunshine after a week of cloudy, dark weather.

One of the beefsteak tomatoes has several ‘superbloom’ or ‘megabloom‘ flowers. Which is basically two or more flowers in one, giving the fruit a weird, large shape.. megablooms are the conjoined twins of tomatoes. I look forward to the freaky fruit to come.
One of the megablooms seems to think its a sunflower, its streched out and standing tall the same way, I’ve never seen anything like it.

Posted in Container Gardening, Harvests, Square foot gardening and tagged , , , ,
17 Nov 2012
2 Comments

Hello Autumn!

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Posted in Harvests and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
30 May 2012
12 Comments

Greens That Didn’t Mind May Heat

May hasn’t been easy on my garden. I’ve lost several plants to the heat like Zucchini, Tomatoes, Mustard, Corn, and Spinach.

mustard couldn’t stand the heat

Some plants however, have proved to be exeptionally hardy, plants like Dinosaur Kale, which exceeded my expectations in how tolerant they can get, can you believe these now stalky brassicas have been standing tall in my garden since early October?

Their leaves are starting to get narrow, as the plant looks like its ready to flower. Just picture the amount of Kale I got to harvest this year. Amazing.


And it is still good to harvest! I used to think brassicas hated the heat, I guess I was wrong.


I cant wait until it flowers.

Kale wants to survive so badly, that its producing new baby kales on it’s stalks.  I am really amazed by this plant’s will to survive! A big success in Kuwait, Im surprised no one else grows it here.

rainbow swiss chard

Another delightful surprise to be still giving, is Rainbow Swiss Chard, this plant, with leaves more delicate that those of Kale, are still happy despite the scorching heat and dusty winds. I really want these plants to flower, so I can collect their seeds, but they’re still fighting for life.

I could go on and on about Kale and Swiss Chard. Grow them In September for a continuos supply of healthy greens to last you well more than 10 months.

Posted in Harvests, Summer Planning and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
29 Apr 2012
2 Comments

Gardening In Kuwait’s Harvests

It has been a great vegetable gardening season for me, I’ve grown some things I’ve never grown before, I’ve had some disappointing failures, and surprising successes. And so have the members from the Facebook Group Gardening in Kuwait
This is a group with a small gardening community where members, including myself. Help each other learn more about growing vegetables and ornamental plants. It is a valuable place to learn from people’s experiences and ideas.

Here are some of their inspiring vegetable harvests since october:

These people have been enjoying their fresh produce with little effort, and so can you..

Posted in Harvests, Kuwait
30 Mar 2012
4 Comments

Before I Leave

I am leaving my garden for 2 weeks. I cant expect everything to be the same when I get back. This is why I did some very heavy pruning/harvesting to get the most out of it now.

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Posted in Harvests and tagged
28 Mar 2012
2 Comments

Collecting Basil Seeds

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When basil flowers start to drop and the flower pods turn brown, it’s time to collect seeds. Only pollinated flower pods will have seeds in them so dont expect to find seeds in every pod. This is why having bees and beneficial insects in the garden is important.

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Cut away the browning stems, and start unwrapping the pods to find the seeds.

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It doesn’t get easier than this. Now is great time to plant basil seeds, so start collecting!

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Posted in Harvests, Seed Starting and tagged
16 Mar 2012
4 Comments

Sautéed Swiss Chard

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Today I found myself with a large harvest/pruning of rainbow swiss chard, so I decided to make something with it.

You’ll need:

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed

7 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt + pepper

A handful of nuts of your choice

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Procedure:

1.) Cut off the hard spines of the leaves and toss them in compost.

2.) Chop the chard leaves into pieces, however way you like.

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3.) Heat the oil and then add the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for about 20 seconds.

4.)Add the leaves and continue to stir the chard. You’ll want to cook the chard until it is tender. Add your choice of nuts.

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This was a really easy, very delicious side dish. I will try the same recipe with kale soon.

Posted in Harvests and tagged
10 Mar 2012

Very Giving Rainbow Swiss Chard

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This nutrient rich leafy green has been giving since september! Six long months and it hasn’t lost its gorgeous colors..

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This is a plant perfect for the Kuwaiti winter, I’ve harvested baskets after basket, and it keeps producing!
It’s been a great addition to my garden, if you plan on growing one thing next winter, grow rainbow swiss chard.

Posted in Harvests and tagged | Leave a Comment
09 Mar 2012

Early carrots

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