I did make it back outside after dinner last night. I drastically pruned another blighted tomato plant, and removed one that was going downhill fast and not producing very well anyway. The one I pruned was loaded with green tomatoes, so I'm hoping they can still vine ripen.
After I cleaned up my tomato mess, I came inside and got the bran muffins made, so I was happy to have one for my breakfast this morning, along with some delicious chilled cantaloupe. I have just two melons left, with a lot of blossoms that probably won't give me ripe melons before the first fall frost.
Heading out to the garden this morning, I picked bush and pole beans. Oh, dear, I'm getting so many beans! I had just put two one-gallon bags in the freezer from Monday's harvest, and now I have another 5-plus pounds staring at me! I also picked 7 lovely young crookneck squash, and put them out by the street with a "free" sign. Unfortunately, it seems nobody wants fresh summer squash, as they are still out there, cooking in the hot sun.
I also picked a few tomatoes. There was one more that didn't make it into the photo, a big, beautiful, fully ripe one that made it into our lunch instead.
I cleaned all of the carrots out of the kennel garden. They are small, and not growing well now that the pole beans are shading the bed all day. I have a couple of cabbage seedlings that can go where the carrots were removed. The first few leaves of my fall lettuce were picked, just enough for sandwiches this week. The few peppers weren't even weighed for the week's total. The bell was showing some BER, and the hot peppers are just a test to see if they have finally turned hot. By the time I got to the strawberry bed, the sun was so hot I didn't last long. I may go back over the bed this evening, after it cools down a bit.
Guess what I'll be doing all afternoon.
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Oh, how do you ever grow so much! I think I am losing my enthusiasm. Did plant just a teeny bit of kale and chard today. Need to harvest the tomatoes tomorrow and blackberries. Feed the beans to Annie!!!! Coco loves them. I will take one of those yellow squash. Mine did not do well. Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, Annie and Otto both love beans. Cooked or raw, it makes no difference. Raw ones are eaten as an occasional treat, but cooked ones are mixed with their food and given as often as I need to get rid of them! I sauteed a leek in butter and then added it to the beans at dinner tonight. They were very good, but the dogs can't have the leftovers (no onion for them). I had to toss five of the seven squash into the compost tonight. Someone took two, but the others were not taken.
DeleteThankfully we have not had blight this year - a huge relief, because we get it most years, and it has a dramatic effect on the tomato yield. I sympathise with you, because I know how agonizing it is to have to chop down a plant that you have nurtured for months, just before its fruit is ready!
ReplyDeleteBeans though are seldom affected by disease in my garden. We have more Runner Beans and French beans than we can use. Probably time to freeze some, though I prefer them fresh...
Mark, I used the term blight, but what I suffer with here is verticillium wilt or fusarium wilt, I never could tell the difference. I avoided it for a few years by planting my tomatoes in containers, but the cost of all that potting mix was high so I tried VFNT resistant varieties this year. I guess it's back to buckets for me.
DeleteI have beans coming out my ears! Not literally, of course, but they are nearly as prolific as the summer squash. My freezer is already full of them!
I think for you, every post is a harvest post. You just pick so much. I got to freeze just a few beans the other day. but not pounds of them. I wish. The only thing I'm getting more than I want is cucumbers. I'm going to be giving them to my townhouse mates this week (first they have gotten since the chard came out). I know Scott like making pickles. So he will get a chance. I finished up with my pickle making this week.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I was sad that of the 7 beautiful, freshly picked crooknecks I put out yesterday, only two were taken. My kids will always take cucumbers, but my son says he's vegged out. I have no idea what I'll do with the beans, I have enough in the freezer now to take care of us all year! They are such a job to pick, it's painful to have to give them away. I need to find a big family that could use the excess!
DeleteGranny,
ReplyDeleteDo you have a local food bank that you could donate your extra's to I'm sure they would appreciate it, or you could try a free ad on craigslist!
Heather, the gas consumed to drive the 15 or so miles round trip to the food bank wouldn't be feasible for donating a pound of squash. I'd also not want to advertise my address on craigslist. It's not a huge amount I have to give away, but I hate putting even 5 little crooknecks into the compost. As it turned out, my daughter loves them for juicing. She just forgot to tell me so, but now they will be saved for her!
DeleteI used to take all my excess produce to the low income housing complex, but it burned down last month so all the residents have been temporarily relocated to many different apartment buildings. If they ever get it rebuilt, I will once again have an outlet for the extra veggies.