Have You Noticed Something

The summer months have reached their height, but regardless, it's time to plant the last 16 of broccoli and the last 4 cabbage. Yep, I did say the last of them. My does that shelf look empty now, especially now that the last of the cauliflower is going to start spending time outside now too. Do you miss the in and out of that flat, day after day, week after week. It's almost over.

We're going to start something new today though. Today, we're going to start harvesting the spinach. Just pick the outermost leaves by carefully pinching them off. Leave the center-most three or four leaves to help the plant maybe produce more. If it goes to flower, it's over. Might as well turn over the row. Harvest every day or at least every week. Hopefully you'll be out in the garden weeding often enough to keep up with it.

This afternoon is a good time to can up those spinach you've harvested. Save a few to saute for supper; figure a fistful per serving.

Pressure Canning:

• Wash thoroughly. 
• Trim away the tough stems and mid-ribs.
• Place about 2 1/2 pounds of spinach in cheesecloth and steam for about 10 minutes or until well wilted.
• Pack loosely to 1/2 inch of the top of the jar
• Cover with boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch at the top of the jar.

for pints (what I'd use) 70 minutes at 10 pounds in a pressure cooker.
Follow pressure cooker instructions. There's more to the cooking than just those 70 minutes.

Freezing: (not for me)

• Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes or in steam for 3 minutes.
• Stir a few times while blanching to prevent leaves from matting.
• Cool and chop, if desired, before freezing.

Have fun. See you next time.

Another Day In The Garden

Back to those babies that have been basking in the sunshine, liquid and otherwise. Time to introduce the best 20 cauliflower to their summer home in the garden.

It's also time to start introducing the broccoli and cabbage you planted on May 1 to some sunshine, liquid or otherwise. Remember, an hour today, 2 tomorrow and so on.

I'm sure I don't need to remind you about those pesky weeds. Don't let them get ahead of you. The whole point of having a garden is to harvest vegetables, though it may seem like you're harvesting more weeds than vegetables.

Easy Summer Day

Today is easy as far as planting is concerned. Set out the 16 broccoli and the 4 cabbage you've been hardening over the last week, and then start hardening off the 20 cauliflower you planted on May 1.

That's it for planting, but I'm sure you've discovered the incessant need to hunt out those energetic weeds.

Meet you right back here next week

Summer is Here

Well, at least it's really summer now, here. Not necessarily by the calendar. Today you'll plant the Broccoli and cabbage you were hardening last week, and you will start hardening the Cauliflower you started on April 17th. Reading this it all sounds so confusing, but by now, with next to nothing left in your house, the sorting should be easy.

Remember, it's only 16 broccoli you'll be planting and only 4 cabbage. Pick the healthiest and discard the others. Shed a tear for them or better yet, rinse them off and munch them down. I do.

See you next week

PS - you might want to start hunting down weeds. I bet there are some.

Getting Easier

Today you will plant the broccoli and cabbage you planted on April 3 and harden the cauliflower you started on the 17th.

The biggest difference of today is that you will plant your zucchini (summer squash). 40 of them. One whole row. Bush zucchini take up quite a bit of room, so using your grid, you will plant where the lines cross two feet in from the edge and starting two feet in from the end as well, and then every two feet down the length of the row. These little guys don't take up much room now, but don't worry, they will. Now your garden is mostly full, leaving only the first row to continue to fill up.

Once again, just a reminder, don't let your babies stay outside too long the first day, and a little longer each day. You'll be planting them next week.

See you next week

A Day of Rest

Well at least it will seem like it.

Today you will start hardening off the broccoli and cabbage you planted on April 3. You will also start hardening off your zucchini (summer squash).

Once you get all that hauled outside somewhere safe, you can go plant the 20 cabbage plants that have been enjoying the sun while you've been laboring out in the garden this last week - the ones you started on April 3. Plant only the healthiest ones; with luck you'll have a few left over. Planting those few extra leaves room for some to not make it.

Once again, just a reminder, don't let your babies stay outside too long the first day, and a little longer each day. You'll be planting them next week.

Enjoy your break. See you next week

Last Big Planting Day

Doesn't that sound good?

Today is for peas. I have a stretch of wide square wire fencing. I think it's called hog fence. I've bent it over so it's teepeed down the center of the row. The peas I pick are bush peas; they don't get but like two feet tall or so but like all peas, they climb, hence the fencing.

Plant your seeds along the foot of the fence on each side about an inch apart. That'll end up being 960 seeds. As the summer goes along keeping the plants clinging to the fence as opposed to leaning toward the sun is important. The wide square style of fencing is important so you can harvest your peas when they hang inside your teepee - you need to be able to reach through the fence.

Aside from filling up your first row, you will have only one more row to plant.

You're almost there. Keep up the good work