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Sunday, November 7, 2010

11/8/10 Harvest After The First Snow

We had our first snow on Friday, although it didn't stick.  Temperatures dipped down to the mid-twenties on Friday night, but I'm happy to report that what little left of the asian greens in the garden (with emphasis on little) survived the cold night.


These are the survivors, including a lone radish.  First, they survived the relentless attack of the cabbage worms (but not without battle scars consisting of big holes and missing chunks of leaves), and now they have survived their frost and snow.  I stir-fried these greens for lunch.  They were really tasty, but so little in quantity to just barely whet our appetites.  I really need to figure out a way to grow these better and to protect them from pests next year!


Also surviving frost and snow are some volunteer parsley that have been growing for the last two months.  They seem really hardy and healthy in the outdoor garden.


I supplemented this week's garden harvest with some cilantro and basil from our indoor grow box.  A single Jelly Bean tomato (also from the grow box) somehow made its way onto the harvest plate, too.  I chopped up the cilantro and mixed it in with some freshly cooked brown rice.  They added a nice flavor to the rice!


I also picked the last handful of green beans from the grow box.  While it was kind of cool to find out that we could grow green beans (bush variety) in our grow box, I have to admit that they were still very cramped in there and did not grow to their full potential.  I'm not sure if I'll grow them again in the grow box.

The harvests are definitely getting smaller, but we really appreciate every little bite that makes its way into our kitchen.

Check out Daphne's Harvest Monday to see who else is still harvesting in November!

26 comments:

  1. Wow, you already got snow? Amazing. That's great that the greens survived.

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  2. We are also sharing our asian leaf vegetables with cabbage white butterfly babies (caterpillars). I also am very interested to find a solution on how to reduce this attack without using any chemicals. When I have time I check under the leaves whether there are any laid eggs but this takes time.

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  3. Your grow box is really useful this time of year when there is not much to harvest outdoors.
    I love the intense fragrance that parsley gets after it survives frost.

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  4. You are really going to enjoy the veggies that you are growing in your grow box over the winter!

    Geez, snow already!! It's been cold here this past week...but, we are suppose to get a nice treat this week....50's & 60's!!

    Nice Harvest!

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  5. It is really hard to find something edible out there but boy it taste so delicious when it lands the plate. One really appreciate it.

    Tyra

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  6. Please keep that snow in your area! Great late season harvest. I know that the greens in the grow box are going to be a real treat throughout the winter months.

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  7. Bean at all, even crowded ones are good. LOL. Considering half this came from indoors it makes me wonder if 'they'd' try to bust me if I turn a while room into a big grow box. LOL. I can see it now the police come in all nastylike thinking they got a pot grower only to find tomatos, and beans, and cilantro.... HAHAHAH!

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  8. So, do you ever have any pests like gnats or anything in your indoor box?

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  9. Any harvest is a good harvest, I always say! No snow down here to the south but we got down in the mid 20s last week.

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  10. Don't worry about that parsley! Mine was covered with snow last year and I continued to harvest it and it got huge, then proceeded to self sow again... love that herb! It seems that I don't get any in the summer since the caterpillars get it then!

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  11. meemsnyc - I thought it was early for snow, too! But it was very light and temporary, so no biggie... yet.

    * * * * *
    Malay-Kadazan girl - It really takes so long to check under each leaf for eggs and worms! The only two solutions I've read about are growing them under row covers and/or using Bt.

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    vrtlarica - oh yeah, the parsley did smell really good when I harvested them with scissors.

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    Robin - It's also supposed to warm up in Indianapolis again this week. But our warm-ish days are definitely numbered at this point!

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    TYRA - I totally agree!

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    kitsapFG - thank you! I don't really want the snow either! :)

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    Barbie - "But officer, these are just beans! Here, try one!"

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    Shawn Ann - Ha, I was just going to write a post about that this week. Yep, believe it or not, there are bugs in the grow box.

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    villager - I'm sure you'll get your share of the snow, too, later this winter. :)

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    Erin - parsley does seem to just take care of itself in the garden! I didn't know that caterpillars got to them in the summer - I didn't have any this summer because they had all bolted by then.

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  12. It's a favorite of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, I always plant parsley, fennel and lots of dill for them, this year I counted 29 on one plant! The kids call it the Black Swallowtail Daycare!

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  13. Erin - Black Swallowtail Daycare! Ha, your kids are rather clever! I have one really good guess as to where they got that (the intelligent wit) from. :)

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  14. I am with you on those dang cabbage loopers. I will likely invest in some cover for next season and try planting with wood ashes as well.

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  15. Amazing grow box, any harvest is a good harvest in my book.
    It's cold here, I still see some white cabbage flies hovering over my brassicas. The biggest pest problem I have is the root maggots, I hate covering up the veggies when the sun is out, I may have to do that next year.

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  16. We have yet to have snow, a few hours north they have though. You should look into BT spray next season. It is an organic control for any caterpillars. Some sort of bacteria that kills them. I use it sparingly, only when I start seeing damage. Works great!

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  17. Brrr snow. We had snow/sleet forecasted for yesterday, but it never came to pass. Just really cold rain. Maybe you could grow some Asian greens in your grow box. I bet the insect wouldn't find them there.

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  18. Neem helps, tightly secured row cover is the solution. As soon as you see moths it is probably already too late, so get babies covered with floating row cover soon after planting, and if you have to loosen it as they get bigger. Row cover also adds a few degrees which can be a boon in late season like now.

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  19. Kelly - hmm, I haven't come across wood ash as a potential solution, so I'll have to read up on it!

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    Mac - thank you! It is also hard for me to cover up the veggies because I'm only at the garden on weekends, and I'm afraid they will cook under the covers if it gets warm during the week when I'm not there.

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    Dan - I've read many good things about BT, so I'll probably try it next year.

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    Daphne - I actually started some in 16 oz cups, but they might need more soil than that. The experiment results are still pending!

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    Sara - Neem, too, in addition to BT? I would definitely like to try the floating row cover, too. Thank you for the advice!

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  20. I agree with Dan on the Bt. I use it in dust form. I thoroughly checked it out for being organic before I used it. It's safe, and could be used right up to harvest, but who would do that anyway? If harvest is that close, pick it!

    I've counted as many as 11 cabbage moths in my garden at one time. It was time to do something, and Bt was the organic way to address the issue. It works very well.

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  21. VeggiePAK - belated thanks for your input regarding Bt! I'm definitely going to have to give it a try next season.

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