Extreme weather can teach a gardener a lot about growing food. Whereas most of the season a gardener might not notice the nuanced chemical processes occurring daily within a plant, the effects of a stretch of very hot weather are quickly apparent, and not often good. In my garden, the extreme heat of early July caused the tomatoes and peppers to drop their top blossoms, beet greens to wilt in the late afternoon heat, and pea vines to turn yellow and crispy. Beet tops recover. But the tomato and pepper blossoms are lost, and with them, the potential for fruit. This episode reminded me of how little control I have over the natural world. Humbled, I hope for the return of warm and sunny days so that new blossoms will unfold and new fruit will set in time to ripen.
Now the middle of summer, harvests are constant, and at the same time I must begin sowing fall crops. Something must go to make room for the seeds which will feed us this fall and into winter. I bask in the bounty of summer but am mindful of hungrier times ahead. So here is what I do.
What’s in
Sweet Potatoes: A couple of weeks ago I received an urgent message from a friend who was on her way out the door for a long summer vacation. She had a small box of sweet potato slips that needed a good home. Unable to say no, I found some space and am trying to create a tropical environment for them. I constructed a small hoop house out of pvc pipe and perforated plastic. I water regularly to keep the inside of the house moist. The plants are responding well with lots of healthy growth, and yet I still feel as though I will only get sweet potatoes by way of a miracle.
Cilantro, Dill, Bush Beans: A second planting of these crops means we will have dill when the cucumbers are ripe (for pickles), and another round of beans and cilantro when the first plantings have been harvested.
What’s out
I’ve become increasingly interested in watching plants complete their entire life cycles. Not immediatly good for the eater who grows in a limited space, but important for me as I seek to develop a comprehensive understanding of how things grow. Eventually though, I’ve got to pull.
Red Orach: I removed all the remaining edible leaves, even if tiny, for salads, then clipped the flowers for arrangements and chopped the stalks into small pieces to compost onsite. One plant remains so that I can see it through from seed to seed. I’ll use its seed for next spring’s planting.
Peas: I cut the plants at the base (leaving the roots to rot in the ground), laid them in the pathways and covered them with horse manure (a sheet composting experiment).
Cilantro: Though we’ve been eating it regularly for about a month, this week I harvested about six cups at once and made pesto. To enjoy pesto year round, simply freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the cubes into freezer bags and use as needed throughout the year.
Beets: I’ve read that high temperatures can make them woody, so I harvested all but one row which I’m leaving as an experiment to find out for sure. I steamed half of the harvest, tossed them in balsamic vinegar, and put them in a bowl in the fridge where they are readily available for use in salads throughout the week. The other half is storing in the crisper.
Garlic: The garlic is in its second week of curing. From the outside the bulbs look dry, but the skin is still drying around the individual cloves. I am guessing it will be another two weeks before it can be safely stored for the year.
Carrots: I’m harvesting a few a week now. They are perfectly formed and blemish free, though unfortunately not very sweet, so I’m researching varieties and growing conditions to see about improving the flavor of my next sowing.
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