Wet California Winter

Santa Rosa Plum Bud Break - February 12, 2017

It's been a beautifully wet winter in California.  Some moan and whine.  I delight in the rare, rich rain.  Dormant spraying failed this winter as opportunities conflicted with rain events.  Today, fruit buds are swelling with the leader of the pack, Santa Rosa, breaking today.  The buds are plentiful; so when the winds come - and they will come- there should still be enough strong fruit to develop and enjoy in June.

Cherry tomato from the 2016 season.

Cherry tomatoes from the 2016 season continue to produce.  Even though the quality isn't premium like in mid summer; there are still cherry tomatoes on the sheltered side of a plant.  They can be smashed up with some peppers that are still hanging on for some fresh salsa.  It's time to pull the thing out and make way for a bed of beets.

Waltham 29 Broccoli

Broccoli was planted in late summer from seed.  I simply threw the seeds out and walked away.  Remarkably, every single seed germinated providing an abundance of produce.  It's already starting to bolt.  The cauliflower started with such promise; but the rain spoiled it.  Only enjoyed one head of cauliflower.  Sad!

Iceberg Rose

Little to no maintenance has been preformed on the roses yet this year.  They should have been pruned and sprayed by now; but, again, weather has re-directed garden efforts to thumbing through seed catalogs indoors.  When the sun does shine, weeds grow to Jack and the Beanstalk size.  No lie.  This afternoon, Ajax and I tackled weeds.  Tomorrow morning may erase all our efforts.

Regardless of this wonderful bounty of winter rain, I must ask Californians to continue to conserve water.  Get used to it.  It's a way of life.  This bounty is going towards replacing the debt from the drought years.  Thanks for doing your part.

Garden Update

My screwed up back doesn't allow me to work in the garden as I would like.  I can't even get down and take photos.  I simply get down as low as I can, point the lens in the general direction, then snap a photo.  Most times it works.  If it doesn't, I simply delete.  Here's a sample of what's going on in the garden.

Garlic Chives are going to seed.

The vegetable garden is still producing.  In fact, the fall/winter vegetables have already germinated.  Seeds of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower were sown on Labor Day, September 3, with the majority of germination occurring just 3 days later on September 6.

Waltham 29 Broccoli


Peppers of all varieties are improving with the cooler weather.  Some might not consider 95° cooler; but it is and there are fewer hours of the day dedicated to baking at those temperatures.

Bell Pepper

A couple of Better Boy Tomatoes were planted earlier this summer with the thought of having fresh, large tomatoes into the fall.  Looks like that plan is working out.

Better Boy Tomato

Pumpkins continue to produce well.  Daily squash bugs hunts continue as well.  The pumpkins rest on dried grape leaves in an attempt to avoid rotting portions on the squash.  So far, so good.

Jarrahdale Pumpkin

 





Fruit trees that have fruit are Granny Smith Apple, Robertson Orange, Rio Red Grapefruit, and Variegated Pink Lemon.  All the fruit trees are due for a haircut/pruning and a feeding.  I would like to wait for the weather to cool down further; but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.

Granny Smith Apple

The Red Flame Grapes set a second crop of berries this summer.  The first issue was a bust.  All the berries split and were moldy.  These bunches aren't as tight and look pretty good.  The berries a larger too.  Don't know if they will be very sweet.

Red Flame Grapes

Some flowers in the veggie patch are appreciating the change in weather too.  All kinds of pollinators are attracted to the garden with the help of all kinds of flowering plants.

Calibrachoa Hybrid - Superbells Coralberry Punch

Petunias without bud worms!

There's tons that needs to be done before we're officially out of Swamp Pants Season:

• Turn the old tomato bed.
• Plant peas
• Plant sweet peas
• Clean up the overflowing boysenberry canes.
• Prune / feed roses.
• Clean out remaining tomato (Gold Currant) bed.
• Plant lettuce
• Plant onions
• Prune / feed all fruit trees.

National Empty Chair Day

Labor Day marks the end of summer (...not here in Bakersfield, California however.  We have a long, hard road to go.)  Labor Day weekend is a summer weekend with typical celebrations of barbecues and fun in the great outdoors.  In the garden, Labor Day weekend is just that...labor.

Farmer MacGregor has been busy preparing the shed for painting.  He dug out all the Celebrity tomatoes and their wooden supports.  The lawns have been mowed and everything is thoroughly irrigated.  The broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage seeds have been planted in a bed that had signs of Root Knot Nematodes on the beans but no evidence on the Black Beauty Zucchini.  I'm rolling the dice with an investment of a few dollars for seed to see if these fall crops succeed.  Peas will be planted in the Celebrity Tomato bed were there was evidence of nematodes on the tomato roots; but the plants produced well.

In a nod to the viral observation of National Empty Chair Day that was spurred by Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Maybelline's Garden offers a version of the empty chair.  The chair isn't used much during time when work needs to be done.  Others are so much more creative. If you should see this one floating around the conservative interwebs, you'll know a bit more about the story behind the image. 

This is February?!

Today would have been a perfect beach like day IF it was July.  However, it’s February in Bakersfield.  I need some cold weather to kill the bugs, rain in the garden to settle the dust and clear the air, and snow in the mountains to use when it is July.

Can you believe ladybugs are already working in the garden?Here’s what’s growing on in the garden today:

The cauliflower has been bothered by aphids in this warm weather.  I was considering taking the plants out and getting the bed ready for summer crops; but there are 16 head that seem to be doing alright.  I’ll wait.Broccoli has also had aphid troubles.I’ve blasted the plants with a power stream of water from the garden hose and relocated some of the early ladybugs so they can help control this problem.Probably every seed of lettuce germinated successfully in the garden this season.  There is lettuce growing in a salad bed and lettuce growing in the holes of the cinder blocks that form the beds.  Another reason the hope for cooler weather is to extend my lettuce enjoyment.The discovery of Root Knot Nematodes* has led to a search for knowledge on the topic and a successful safe way to control the wee beasties.  At least I have beets and carrots successfully growing in beds that don’t seem to effected by nematodes.The carrots are coming along nicely and have been used in roast beef and pasta salad.  Of course, they have been snacks while out in the garden along with peas.  I can never seem to get peas past the garden gate because I eat them while enjoying the garden.By about 10:30 this morning the temperature was just under 70°F with clear skies and a light breeze.  By nightfall, the lights were visible out in Elk Hills, on the Grapevine, and Breckenridge where there is no snow.

*  If anyone has information to share about ridding my garden of damaging nematodes, I would appreciate it.

Here Comes Fall!!!

Well, here comes fall planting.  It’s still hot enough for swamp pants.  It’ll be that way through October.  The seeds need to get in now that the first 3 Sisters bed has been pulled.  There’s a few beans that remain on the west end of this east end bed.

The photo is oriented north and each drip line has something planted (or soon will have planted) on either side.  It looks pretty pitiful now but so would you if you spent an endless summer under blistering sun.    Here’s what’s planted from west to east.  (That’s from left to right).  I’ve noted the dates the seeds were planted and the days to maturity.

• Lettuce – Merlot (8/15/11, 50-60 days) – loose leaf, dark burgundy.  It grew well last winter.
• Onions – White Lisbon (8/15/11, 60 days)– bunching.  These grow fast and will give immediate gratification.
• Beets – Early Wonder (8/15/11, 50 days)– dark, round, and delicious pickled.  It’s the seeds I had on hand.  I ran out on this row and need to grab more seeds.
• Cabbage – Copenhagen Market –  Planting is pending acquisition of seeds.  This variety has grown well in the garden a couple of years ago.
• Beets – Early Wonder (8/15/11, 50 days) – Do I like beets?
• Cauliflower – Early Snowball (8/13/11 & 8/15/11, 65 days)- tight and white.  Does great in this garden.
• Beets – Early Wonder (8/15/11, 50 days) – What the heck?  I plan on canning pickled beets.  Sue me.
• Broccoli – Waltham 29 (8/13/11, 80 days) – A proven variety in this garden.  Tender, tight, easy to grow.

At the top of each irrigation line are planted Buttercup squash(8/13/11, 95 days).  It’s a winter squash I’ve never tried; but Floyd’s had the seeds and I was game.  Sparkler radishes (8/13/11, 25 days) are sprinkled throughout.

This bed is about one month ahead of planting last year.  My goal is to harvest by Thanksgiving.  It’s nice to have goals.  Another goal is to survive swamp pants season and enjoy a cool – cold and wet winter.  Come on October!

The garden was pumping along nicely at Thanksgiving 2010.  Come on October!

It’s Broccoli Blanching Time!

The weather has really started to get warm and the broccoli, along with other veggies in the garden, are starting to bolt.  Today, the broccoli had to go into the freezer to enjoy later.

• Harvest as much fresh broccoli as you can.
• Rinse the harvest.
• Clip into flowerets.
• Soak in cold water.
• Place in boiling salt water for 3 minutes.
• Remove with slotted spoon into ice bath to stop cooking process and retain texture and nutrients.
• Repeat in batches until complete.
• Drain.
• Pat dry.
• Place in freezer container in your freezer.

That should preserve a bit of delicious nutrition for the future.

 

Three varieties of broccoli were grown this winter.

• Calabrese
• Nutribud
• Waltham29

Since the summer crop is currently in seedling state and the last day of frost is only a few weeks away, this will give me time to clean out the beds and get ready for summer.

Brassicaceae Economics

 

This…

Plus this…

Equals this… 

How much does organically grown, fresh broccoli and cauliflower cost in the store?  I have no clue.  The broccoli seeds used this fall cost about $1.50.  A variety of Calabrese, Nutribud, and Waltham29 was planted.  I prefer the Waltham29 variety purchased at Floyd’s Hardware Store and planted in late September.  The buds are loose and plentiful.  They even seem a little darker and that translates to more nutritious to me.  I could be wrong.  It happens.  The Purple of Sicily Cauliflower cost about $2.50 for about 200 seeds.  I don’t even know if markets sell purple cauliflower. 

All seeds were sewn in place in September or October.  Most all the seeds sprouted with the exception of the Nutribud Broccoli seeds purchased from Baker Creek.  Pill bugs may have been responsible for fewer of those plants in the garden.

 

This is a pretty economical way to provide produce for your steam pot.

Cabbage Patch

The raised bed at the east side of the garden has been planted with all types of brassicaceae.  Just like last fall, I believe every seed that hit the dirt has germinated.  The thinned plants are transplanted into the hole of the cinder block that form the beds.  So far, most all germinated plants have survived leaving me with hopes of a winter bounty of hearty vegetables.

The cabbage patch consists of

• Early Jersey Cabbage
• Yellow of Parma Onions
• Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage
• Early Wonder Beets
• Purple of Sicily Cauliflower
• Flat of Italy Onions
• Early Wonder Beets (I like beets.)
• Waltham 29 Broccoli

 

Waltham 29?!  What kind of a name is that?  I can only determine that the broccoli was bred at University of Massachusetts, Waltham Field Station, Waltham, MA around 1950. Were the names 1 through 28 already taken?  I don’t know why this name was chosen and would appreciate some background.  In the meantime, I’ll continue the research.  If anyone knows OR has a creative made up story, I would be interested in reading your ideas.