This past week I harvested the first small butternut squash. It was the perfect size for two people, and it was delicious! There is one more small butternut that will probably be picked this week, but all the rest of them are great big ones.
It was also the first week of fairly good tomato harvests. Finally some of the larger varieties are ripening, although I'm still getting large amounts of small and cherry tomatoes that are only good for sauces or fresh eating. The last picture shows most of the tomatoes that were picked during the week. They are waiting to be turned into sauce, ketchup or salsa.
My first two Happy Yummy Hot Peppers, seeds from Dave at Our Happy Acres, turned out to be sweet peppers. None of the others have ripened, so it remains to be seen whether they turn out sweet or hot.
The last of the storage onions were dry, so they were cleaned up and weighed.
Our temperatures are still in the high 90s, making gardening miserable except for early mornings. The fall garden seems to be growing well, in spite of the heat. Except for the newly planted lettuce. Only one of the varieties I planted has germinated, and wouldn't you know I didn't write down what variety was planted where! So much for testing old seed, now I'll have to start all over from scratch. I got a double row of peas planted on Saturday. This is my first ever attempt at growing fall peas. I gave up on the cauliflower plants. They were set out in April, and just last week developed tiny (quarter sized) heads that promptly turned yellow. I'll never figure out why I can grow great cabbage and broccoli, but cannot grow decent cauliflower for the life of me. I don't think my Brussels are going to sprout, either.
Harvest for the Week of 8/6-8/12
Beans, bush - 14.5 ounces
Beans, pole - 53.5 ounces (3.34 pounds)
Beets - 10.7 ounces
Broccoli - 13.1 ounces
Carrots - 7.8 ounces
Corn - 21.7 ounces (1.36 pounds)
Cucumbers - 29.3 ounces (1.83 pounds)
Onions - 58 ounces (3.63 pounds)
Peppers, hot (turned out sweet) - 2.4 ounces
Squash, summer - 133.8 ounces (8.36 pounds)
Squash, winter - 22.1 ounces (1.38 pounds)
Strawberries - 6.5 ounces
Tomatoes - 439.3 ounces (27.46 pounds)
Week's Total 50.79 pounds
Year to Date: 462.7 pounds
Daphne's Dandelions is the host for Harvest Monday, where everyone can share links to their harvest for the week. Please visit her blog and leave a link, so we can enjoy your harvest photos!
Looks so good. Those onions looks so pretty and perfectly white.
ReplyDeleteShawn Ann, those onions grew much nicer than I expected. Of course, I began with about 200 seeds and ended up with a couple dozen onions!
DeleteIt all looks good, Granny! We are trying to decide how to determine if our watermelon and musk melons are ready to pick. Any hints?
ReplyDeleteLangela, the musk melons are quite easy. First of all you will smell them, and second they will slip easily from the vine with just a slight pressure from your thumb. Watermelons should probably get a bright yellow spot on the bottom, as well as a hollow sounding "thunk" when tapped with the knuckles. Just to be completely sure on the watermelons, I always cut a small plug and checked it out. Reinsert if not quite ripe. I always put a piece of duct tape over the plug, just to make sure nothing bad entered through the cut, but I'm quite sure I'm the only person on earth who took that extra step ;-)
DeleteThanks, Granny. I'll use those tips when we go back out to the south garden. And I'll be sure to take my duct tape with me.
DeleteOoh, butternut squash! One of life's most delicious things! I see your broccoli up there and it looks pretty impressive. Actually, so does everything else! Maybe your brussels sprouts will still sprout; mine are very very tiny and I only just noticed them this week. Hope they work out for you!
ReplyDeleteNutmeg, I am also impressed with that broccoli. I've never had so many and such large side shoots before. I've had tiny nubbins on the sprouts for a couple of months, but the don't ever get any larger.
DeleteLove the new banner! Those dark cherry tomatoes are quite beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, David. Most of those Black Cherry tomatoes end up adding rich color to sauce and ketchup.
Deletelovely harvest and nice to see you back :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Mrs. P. You know I can't stay away for long :-) I have so many irons in the fire right now, I probably won't be posting daily for a while. We're having some siding repairs done, then all new windows and sliding glass doors. It looks like I'll be painting the exterior of the house then, as Mr. Granny thinks the bids we got for someone to do it are too high :-( I'm worn out just thinking about it.
DeleteOh Granny! Boo to Mr. G for thinking the bids are too high. If he thinks that, then HE should do the painting. I, too, am glad you didn't give up on blogging.
DeleteAlison, I've spoiled Mr. Granny for too many years, as I have always done all of our interior and exterior painting. He always says paintbrushes don't fit his hand. I'm still working on him, so haven't yet given up on having it done professionally. We'll be celebrating our 50th anniversary in a couple of weeks, so I'll tell him I want the house painted for my fifty years of service, LOL!
DeleteBeautiful harvests. I especially love the beans. Mine have been coming in dribs and drabs. And yum squash. I have some that are just starting to ripen. Well not really ripen, but turn some color other than green. I'm sure they are far from ripe. I do so love butternuts. They are so dependable even if they do have world domination on their mind.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, the beans have been so good, and I've put a lot in the freezer so far. We've eaten a lot fresh, as have Annie & Otto...they love them. Yes, butternuts, especially baked with butter and brown sugar, are one of our very favorites from the garden. It's nice that they keep well all winter, too. I've been brutal with the shovel, keeping the vines confined to the garden.
DeleteI just turn them into the middle when they try to escape. Well mostly. One has totally escaped its bounds and is now threatening to attack my husband's car. But most of the time I can turn the vines back into the middle and keep the rest of the garden safe.
DeleteI do that with my cantaloupe vines, so I can make a narrow path through the garden. Now they are growing over my carrot bed. There's just nowhere else for them to go!
Deletemaybe UP? Next year maybe you can make them a vertical garden with multiple ladders? lol
DeleteI had always read how "fussy" cauliflower was. I've had good luck in the past here in our cool temps, but with that blasted hot July, they bolted. That's okay, I don't eat nearly as much cauliflower anyway. I prefer broccoli.
ReplyDeleteYour weather sounds so hot yet. We've definately cooled---it's been so cool lately, I've started the fall "clean and organize" marathon.
Sue, Mr. Granny loves cauliflower, hates broccoli. Weather is horrid hot, 102 predicted for today, temps of 98, 95, 96, 100, 102, 94 are forecast for this week.
DeleteLovely harvests this week. Nice to see you around. Missed ya! Horrah for the first butternut! I was wondering when you'd haul the first one in. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbie. My son came for his weekly garden goodies, and I almost gave him the second butternut. Selfishness got the best of me....we'll be eating it ourselves! He'll get his share eventually. I counted 31 squash out there one day, I'm sure there were probably more that I couldn't see.
DeleteWhat an abundance of tomatoes, and how lovely to harvest your own butternut squash! I noticed the pic of your cute dachshund and immediately had a smile on my face. We have a wire-haired dachshund - Mr. Bentley - and wish we had space for more doxies. Love them to bits!
ReplyDeleteRowena, the dachshunds are so very special. I'm lucky enough to be loved by two of them, brother and sister, Annie and Otto.
Deletewell that's a really nice looking harvest! terrible hot again here too!
ReplyDeleteMary, last year we didn't have a single day in the triple digits (not normal). My garden didn't perform as well in the cooler weather....but I performed much better ;-)
DeleteYou Go Granny! Beautiful first squash!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ashlee! The second squash will be even more beautiful, 'cause it's bigger!
DeleteI seriously CANNOT believe your harvest. Dying! Can't wait until mine looks like that.
ReplyDeleteand LOL on your comment on Mr. Granny. I think the same occurs in my house. My "mr." is super spoiled too. Congrats on 50 years.
Did you get my comment a few days ago on the potatoes? Do you plant a fall harvest of potatoes?
Shannan, I have never tried planting potatoes this late. I always have mine in by March 15! I had a bag of store bought, locally grown potatoes that I had just purchased about the time I began getting new potatoes from the garden, so they got taken to the garage and forgotten. When I noticed them, they had begun to sprout. Well, it's either throw them away or dig a hole and bury them....what have I got to lose? I might get lucky and find a few new potatoes for my Thanksgiving dinner!
DeleteI've been meaning to ask if you have a blog. When I check your profile it says you haven't shared anything with me. No fair, I share with you, LOL!!!
Granny - that is weird about my blog. This past year I've been blogging a whole lot less than I used to on account of my four young children (the youngest is 2) being at home full time. Some days I can barely change out of my PJS it's so busy around here.
Deletewww.shannandesh.blogspot.com
I found your blog through 1st man, BTW. I live just down the street from you in the Willamette valley in Oregon. I look forward to the days when I can grow as big of a variety as you do!
I found you, Shannan! By clicking on your profile, it takes me to Google + and the message "Shannan hasn't shared anything with you. People are more likely to share with you if you add them to your circles."
DeleteNice harvest! I keep thinking I need to get my fall garden started but it is just to stinking hot. Last week was 112 and tomorrow is supposed to be at least 109. I don't think anything would germinate and if it did it would probably shrivel up and die. Oh well, hopefully it will get down to 100 soon.
ReplyDeletePeggi, I worried about whether anything would germinate, but I ran the sprinklers on the new beds for ten minutes, twice a day (or whenever the surface looked dry) and everything but the lettuce came up just perfect. It was old lettuce seed, so I can't blame the heat. One variety germinated just fine. Even the carrots came up nicely, with very few spaces in the rows.
DeleteI guess I will give it a try, whats the worse that can happen. If nothing else the old tomato vines will be cleared out. So hard to do all the hard work when it is so hot. I need to figure out how to light up the garden to work at night.
DeleteI started some lettuce seed a bit ago and I just noticed I did not write the name down either! It is good to know I am not alone--tee hee:-)... Amazing food you have harvested!
ReplyDelete:-)robbie
Robbie, I made seed tapes for three (or was it four?) varieties of lettuce, and wrote the names on the tapes. Then forgot which was planted where! I see one perfect row in the entire bed. I'll give it a week, then replant with different varieties if nothing shows. And write them down. :-D
DeleteGranny, your harvest looks great! Atleast you're able to grow broccoli, I haven't had much luck with cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. This year, I took a break :) I will try again next year. What's your secret to growing cabbage and broccoli? My brussel sprout plants are growing well. I seeded them early indoors, but still no hint of any sprouts. Are you saying they're not going to produce anything? Someone once harvested sprouts during thanksgiving. I'm hoping to get some and won't give up until end of Nov:)
ReplyDeleteRandom, the sprouts, broccoli, cabbages and cauliflower were all started indoors at the same time and planted out last April. I attribute the success of the broccoli to the variety, and I have no idea what that variety is (mixed seed packet). I've never had a problem growing cabbage, and have about 20 heads of direct seeded cabbage growing beautifully right now. Sounds like a lot, but they are Gonzalez variety, which get about the size of a softball :-)
DeleteAs always, what can I say? You've done well! It all looks yummy! You should be proud.
ReplyDeleteSide note, love the beautiful new banner picture you have at the top. That's the kind of photo I'd use on one of my "Inspiration Thursday" posts, ha.
Thank you, 1st. Man. I wish that was the view of the garden from my back door or kitchen window, rather than my shed door!
DeleteYour counters are groaning with the summer peak garden production! The tomatoes look lovely and those beans are beautiful too. I know you have been in the hot streak lately, but we are enjoying getting some of that warm over flow (for a change) Had a few warm ups last week and coming up this week - which always helps our garden. The on shore (ocean prevailing breezes) have given way to the off shore (your hot dry central Washington heat) winds and we have suddenly had summer arrive. :D Lovely!
ReplyDeleteKitsap, they aren't groaning any more....my son came to visit yesterday afternoon so I put him to work removing a couple of shrubs for me and paid him off with 22 pounds of garden goodies! I sauced the remaining tomatoes, and now I'm just working on two large baseball bat zucchinis :-)
DeleteMy brussels are not sprouted yet either and they're really healthy plants. I guess it's just too early. If I recall last year in someone else's patch, the brussels were really late and almost overwintered or came in spring or something odd and unexpected.
ReplyDeleteAnd on the cauliflower, i think we had tiny yellow heads AT FIRST and I thought it weird. I left them alone and they eventually turned big and white. (not huge but respectable). I would leave them alone, keep watering and see what happens. (unless u know more about it)
The tomatoes look in-freakin-credible and your whole harvest is making me so envious! We're at the tons of green beans stage and overwhelmed with finishing berry jams and all. I have no zucchini or summer squash to speak of b/c T put them in too late, so if u can toss some into my car, i'd be grateful! :) It's HOT hot hot here and I've avoided the garden like the plague and now all sad b/c it's getting outta control without my hand in it. Ah well, the summer is the summer, eh? Time to cut some of those cucumbers into water and have a cool refreshing drink INDOORS!
AmyT, I keep hoping the little sprouts that appeared about two months ago will get larger. I'll give them until winter, but probably give up on them before next spring. The yellow cauliflower heads weren't tight, but had turned loose and almost crumbly looking, so I think they were not going to get any better.
DeleteVery impressive! I'm afraid my garden isn't what it once was - just a couple tomato plants and a bed of herbs right now. Maybe next spring?
ReplyDeleteJean, I find my enthusiasm waning with this heat, so I hope I can keep interested enough to enjoy the fall garden. I know it will be nicer to work on in September than it is in August.
Deletegreat harvest! Still hot and miserable here, too!
ReplyDeleteErin, at least we have lovely, cool mornings. If I didn't sleep in so late I could probably get a lot done outside, but I don't get up until 7:30-8:00, then have to have my email, coffee and blog reading, then feed the dogs. That leaves me with about 30 minutes of cool garden time!
DeleteNice harvest! Hoping I will get some butternut! Your banners are always so pretty! Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, thank you and good luck with the butternut, it's our favorite squash.
DeleteMy heart warms to see your harvest. My garden was late this year as I mulched the garden to cut down on the weeding. I planted in June and things are just now coming in.
ReplyDeleteI hope to have the garden in earlier next spring. With all this heat I may be able to harvest into Oct. I notice on the news the whole country is in a heat wave. Amazing
Everyday-Vegetables, one year I didn't get my main garden in until July, and I still had a great garden. I tend to plant a lot of things too early, just taking a chance the weather will cooperate. I should be able to harvest tender crops up until the middle of October. We always get a light freeze then, followed with warm, lovely weather for sometimes another month. I'm usually ready for the garden to begin dying off for the winter, so I can get some rest!
DeleteGreat variety! I am so jealous of all of you that are able to grow broccoli into August! Wow!
ReplyDeleteIt's has been such a busy week for me that I am just catching up on commenting. I love your new blog photo! What a pretty view. Very impressive harvest this week and quite a variety. So nice that you can pay your children in food :) I hope the weather cools down for you soon. It is so difficult to garden when the temperatures are so hot.
ReplyDelete