I haven't written much in this category lately, so I guess I'll take the time to talk about my garden for 2006.
Broccoli
I found that broccoli will more or less comtinue producing all season long, I had no idea. I thought it was that one big head and pfft, that's it. On the contrary, after the one big head is harvested, offshoots will continue producing lovely small to medium sized florets as long as you keep cutting them off. I also think I'll plant twice as much - in 2005 I had five plants, I think? We could easily handle ten plants - what comes from five is enough for a meal (for us, anyway, we really eat a lot of broccoli) and the yield from the other five can be frozen.
Beans
I had four rows of yellow beans and this seemed to be a good amount for 2005. Dave planted two rows on Memorial Day when the garden was put in, then a few weeks later planted two more rows to stagger maturation dates. Like the broccoli, I found that as long as I was cutting beans, more beans would grow. Since discovering that Dilly Beans are really easy to make and wanting more frozen beans, maybe I'll plant four more rows to make that happen.
(Of course in the back of my mind I keep thinking that maybe I'll bring my extra yield to the farmers' market, but I won't bank on that at this point.)
Tomatoes
OMG tomatoes, I had SO many and only three plants, crowded as they were. I think I'd go with two to three plants again for 2006, two plum-type tomatoes as they grow prolifically and are great for making sauce, and one more standard tomato as they're good for sammiches. Hmm...maybe I'll throw in another of each, now that I think of it, as I'd like to freeze a lot more sauce and maybe do some canning. That way I can do away with buying canned tomatoes altogether.
Chives
I could care less. I'll see if that patch comes back again this year, and if not, no big loss.
Shallots
Shallots, however, I really liked having. It took a while to see real production, but they had great flavor and were abundant when ready. Not to mention buying them in the store they're damned expensive, so I'd much rather grow my own and stockpile them. I had two rows planted, I'd like to expand this to eight or ten. I don't like onions much unless cooked into mush, but I do like shallots as the first thing I cook to add to just about everything.
Squash
Squash did not do well in 2005 due to where it was located, I think it was too shady. I want to try some various squash again in a spot that gets full sun. I think I'll do one hill of pumpkins, one hill of summer squash, and one of butternut.
Basil
One can never have too much basil. Drying it is hard as it turns black and tasteless almost every time (I don't have actual drying racks set up, which I really should), but Heide clued me in to freezing it and I am a convert. Freezing works beautifully for anything where it will be cooked. I had two measly rows of six plants in 2005, this year I would like to have at least ten plants if not more, and if possible I'd like to get a few red basil plants as I've heard great things about them. I'm thinking about all the tomato sauce I want to make, in addition to pesto. I'd love to freeze a ton of pesto.
Thyme
My single thyme plant was such a champ! I was able to give thyme to everyone I knew, dry a bunch for the Winter months, and what I had fresh was awesome in anything I added it to. I'd like to get another thyme plant to keep the first one company.
Oregano
Same with the oregano - one plant produced a ton. I want to expand my oregano to two plants for 2006.
Rosemary
I have none at the moment, this will be my experimental herb for 2006. I'll get one plant and see how it fares.
More Garden 2006 info as I think of it.
Broccoli
I found that broccoli will more or less comtinue producing all season long, I had no idea. I thought it was that one big head and pfft, that's it. On the contrary, after the one big head is harvested, offshoots will continue producing lovely small to medium sized florets as long as you keep cutting them off. I also think I'll plant twice as much - in 2005 I had five plants, I think? We could easily handle ten plants - what comes from five is enough for a meal (for us, anyway, we really eat a lot of broccoli) and the yield from the other five can be frozen.
Beans
I had four rows of yellow beans and this seemed to be a good amount for 2005. Dave planted two rows on Memorial Day when the garden was put in, then a few weeks later planted two more rows to stagger maturation dates. Like the broccoli, I found that as long as I was cutting beans, more beans would grow. Since discovering that Dilly Beans are really easy to make and wanting more frozen beans, maybe I'll plant four more rows to make that happen.
(Of course in the back of my mind I keep thinking that maybe I'll bring my extra yield to the farmers' market, but I won't bank on that at this point.)
Tomatoes
OMG tomatoes, I had SO many and only three plants, crowded as they were. I think I'd go with two to three plants again for 2006, two plum-type tomatoes as they grow prolifically and are great for making sauce, and one more standard tomato as they're good for sammiches. Hmm...maybe I'll throw in another of each, now that I think of it, as I'd like to freeze a lot more sauce and maybe do some canning. That way I can do away with buying canned tomatoes altogether.
Chives
I could care less. I'll see if that patch comes back again this year, and if not, no big loss.
Shallots
Shallots, however, I really liked having. It took a while to see real production, but they had great flavor and were abundant when ready. Not to mention buying them in the store they're damned expensive, so I'd much rather grow my own and stockpile them. I had two rows planted, I'd like to expand this to eight or ten. I don't like onions much unless cooked into mush, but I do like shallots as the first thing I cook to add to just about everything.
Squash
Squash did not do well in 2005 due to where it was located, I think it was too shady. I want to try some various squash again in a spot that gets full sun. I think I'll do one hill of pumpkins, one hill of summer squash, and one of butternut.
Basil
One can never have too much basil. Drying it is hard as it turns black and tasteless almost every time (I don't have actual drying racks set up, which I really should), but Heide clued me in to freezing it and I am a convert. Freezing works beautifully for anything where it will be cooked. I had two measly rows of six plants in 2005, this year I would like to have at least ten plants if not more, and if possible I'd like to get a few red basil plants as I've heard great things about them. I'm thinking about all the tomato sauce I want to make, in addition to pesto. I'd love to freeze a ton of pesto.
Thyme
My single thyme plant was such a champ! I was able to give thyme to everyone I knew, dry a bunch for the Winter months, and what I had fresh was awesome in anything I added it to. I'd like to get another thyme plant to keep the first one company.
Oregano
Same with the oregano - one plant produced a ton. I want to expand my oregano to two plants for 2006.
Rosemary
I have none at the moment, this will be my experimental herb for 2006. I'll get one plant and see how it fares.
More Garden 2006 info as I think of it.
posted by Jen at
8:30 PM
2 Comments:
My broccoli did nothing... It doesn't like to be planted in the same place twice, and it doesn't like to be near tomatoes. Squash & pumpkin, did alright. The vines themselves were enormous, but the yield was unimpressive. My tomatoes - INSANE!! Tomatoes love my soil. Not only do I get excellent yield from what I planted, but all through my garden I get rogue tomatoes - self-sewn from previous years' fruits that had been turned under. Watch out fro tomato horned worms. They are the extremely large and destructive larvae of the hummingbird moth. They are about as big as your finger, the same green color as the tomato plant & immature fruit, with spots down the back and a red appendage on the rear. They eat EVERYTHING! Leaf, stalk and fruit. I pulled 7 - 10 off my crop for three days in a row, and still occasionally found one or two. I had a row of @ 9 heirloom Brandywine tomatoes and I got to eat ONE tomato from the whole lot. Very discouraging. I'm anxious to try more herbs and flowers this year, and I think I may try blue hubbard squash. My Dad doesn't grow that kind, so I can just give it away instead of trade for the same! My cucumbers did fair. I got only a few, but with really excellent flavor. My corn & peppers both did horrible. My Dad's side of the family are farmers from farther back than he knows, so you'de think I'de be better at it! It takes time to get to know your soil and feel the season's rhythm, I guess. Its really fun, though!
By
Anonymous, at 10:58 AM
When freezing basil my sister taught me to shove it all into a ziplock baggie, flatten it as much as possible, then roll it into a log shape for freezing. It takes up very little space and you can unroll it right into the blender for some pesto. Mmm.
By
Kerry, at 10:58 AM
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