It is officially fall. Not in recent history did the summer actually last until the last day of summer but this year it did, 74 and lovely sun on the last day. As the rains started this afternoon I went out to take stock of the garden and see what did well and what did not. Some things surprised me.
Peas – I planted sugar snap peas. These were very successful; in fact I was just eating them yesterday. Often here in the PNW I have to plant them several times because the ground remains soggy for so many weeks during the main planting time (March or April). They are traditionally a plant that grows fast and wants cool weather. If it is warm the plant starts to dry up and the peas become hard. I was surprised they were so great. I ate them raw, in fresh salad, macaroni and potato salad, in stir-fries and simply cooked. I usually leave the pods on and pick them before they are totally mature (not fat with peas bursting through the outside). The pods are good for you too.
Lettuce – I planted three kinds. The red lettuce did well and still looks good and tastes ok. The romaine did not mature well and tastes bitter. The flashy trout back was really good. I noticed at the farmers market in August the flashy trout back lettuce was in many stalls, truly a testament to ease of growth and heat tolerance. Mine was planted behind the tomatoes and the peas so maybe the shade helped. The cucumbers loved it there too.
Arugula – Not really a surprise. It was really hot so the early spring and winter favorite was not that great. I got a couple of handfuls before it went to flower (Bolted). The chickens really enjoyed the peppery taste and were happy to help clear the line. I just popped in some more seeds two weeks ago for a fall crop and they are coming up nicely. This is a great fall/winter vegetable because it loves the cooler weather.
Spinach – Did not do well at all. I got a total of about 10 leaves, some were dried up and some just didn’t come up at all. It may have been a predator (rabbit) but they didn’t eat much of anything else. I have replanted for a fall crop and I see some germination. I’ll keep you posted.
Tomatoes – I did cheat by planting already mature plants. They have rewarded me with many, many tomatoes, sweet and prolific. I love the fact that the plants don’t look that great but the fruit is wonderful. Usually my tomato plants look really great but hardly any fruit. The pear tomatoes I grew from seed are alive well and have fruit on them. I’m not sure they will ripen, but they may still have time.
Patty pan squash – Did very well with good production. The plants are compact and a little close together but still produced well. The leaves are starting to get a little mildew on them now probably due to the closeness of the planting. Three colors again and great flavor out of all of them. I used them in stir-fries and sautés with other vegetables.
Beets – They were a little slow to start. I didn’t begin to see the crowns of the root until 2 weeks ago. It looks like they will be in the baby category but that is just fine with me, they are sweeter and cook faster that way.
Carrots and scallions are about the same as far as growth. They are baby sized and can be harvested now or left in the ground as the weather cools. Sometimes the carrots taste better after a cool period.
Pumpkins – The ghost pumpkins did well and I have several little pumpkins. I have great vines on the blue pumpkins but the fruit is so tiny it will probably fall off soon. The Cinderella pumpkins and regular orange pumpkin just struggled and didn’t do well. Conditions are the same for them except for some shade from other vegetables on the ghost pumpkins and blue pumpkins. I remember that is the old way to plant pumpkins between cornrows.
It was a great experiment in gardening. It is wonderful to eat what you grow. If you are hungry go to the garden not the store. I had pasta primavera several times and stir-fries too. We caught crab out of the water in front of my house and made a great meal with beans squash, potatoes and corn.
Anyone can do it and everyone should try at least once.
