This time of year, I'm a busy bee planting away. Sure there is kale, chard, peas, lettuce and herbs to harvest, but mostly I'm so focused on getting the garden ready for the main season, that I completely loose site of the harvest. Can't see the fruit for the seedlings, as it were. Yet half the world, I'm told is currently getting ready for their long winter nap. It's always nice to be reminded of what we do this for... yeah, the environment, health, whatever. Really, between you and me, I'm in it for the harvest.
I started a 'challenge': pick something edible from the garden each day. I started the 2nd of May. Most days it's only some kitchen or tea herbs. More and more I can pick some leaves of lettuce too. When there's more ... I'll tell and show you. Here you see my lettuce, in a large pot with an 'olla' in the middle (for easy irrigation), and some mint. In the background there are pots with strawberry plants.
"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)
I've just finished my spring harvest and have summer seeds planted now. Down here in Florida a spring crop includes tomatoes, peppers, green beans, blueberries and many other warm season crops.
Between the weeds and what I have started and over wintered in the greenhouse I pick a large salad every day. I can post pictures tomarrow but here is a harvest picture from last fall.
We grow a largish garden (3000 sq ft) with berries and asparagus as permanent plantings, and plant potatoes, carrots, corn, beets, etc in it. We also have a "side garden" near the house (about 500 sq ft, for peas, onion family, and sunflowers), a small greenhouse, a small herb garden, and a planting of bell peppers and basil that wraps around two sides of our house, plus some fruit and nut trees, and grape vines. We grow food for us two adults, not for sale. We give away surpluses to the local food bank and also trade some among our friends.
I don't have any pics of our fruit or nuts, for some reason. Except, I suppose that technically tomatoes and peppers are fruit. I guess I've shot pics only sporadically and randomly. The following are lettuce in basket, broccoli in a basket...
Salad-Basket.jpg
broccoli-in-basket.jpg
My educational sites:
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/homestead-methods-tools-equipment/
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/mixed-shops/
Joel Bercardin
Posts: 343
Location: Western Canadian mtn valley, zone 6b, 750mm (30") precip
In the salad for this afternoon: 5 leaves of different lettuces, chives, mint and more herbs, all from my garden. On the photo before I mixed them with other ingredients.
"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)
Try planting potatos where they only get morning sun so they don't over heat. Try for where the ground will remain moist for three months after frost. Deep mulch keeps them protected from the heat.
The next crop can be planted in dry soil and mulched. they will form sprouts and then pop up when it rains again. then they can grow until it freezes again. There grow cycle is about three months for full size, in Maine that is all the growing season they get for them. Myself I get three grow cycles each year. Feb.-May, May-August, August-november.
I use the center third of the barrels I cut for wicking beds to hill them up. This week one is ready to harvest one the vines are almost died back. the other two were replanted after trying to get them through Dec./Jan. after the tops froze in the greenhouse I got potatoes about the same as the ones you picture. They were a welcome treat anyway.
potato-rounds.JPG
these were planted in the ground in the back of the greenhouse
At this point in 2016, this thread would be worth reviving. What have you got in the way of harvest pics from your homestead, yard garden, small farm, greenhouse... whatever?
My educational sites:
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/homestead-methods-tools-equipment/
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/mixed-shops/
You're right Joel, it's time for harvest news. Sorry I don't have photos. My main 'harvest' are green leaf vegetables, which I still have in the garden. I keep cutting the ones I need for a meal untill they stop producing new leaves (but they are still going strong)
"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)
Joel Bercardin
Posts: 343
Location: Western Canadian mtn valley, zone 6b, 750mm (30") precip
Some of what we harvested this year just looked like what I posted earlier on this page from last year. But on the other hand, we didn't take many pictures of the gardens this year. We were happy to have an abundant yield of raspberries and strawberries and a superabundant blueberry crop. A good crop of onions, tomatoes, green peas, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli... good hybrid corn, good crop of russet and German butterball spuds (but a bit of trouble with Yukon golds), good leafies (incl herbs). On the trees, good pear and apple crops.
Here's a pic of some of our keeper-squash harvest.
A-Few-Squashes-016.jpg
My educational sites:
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/homestead-methods-tools-equipment/
https://www.pinterest.com/joelbc/mixed-shops/
How do they get the deer to cross at the signs? Or to read this tiny ad?
Binge on 17 Seasons of Permaculture Design Monkeys!
3
![[Thumbnail for image.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39596/thumb-image.jpg "Filename: image.jpg
Description: Peaches, Green Beans, Tomatoes")
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Description: Purslane")
![[Thumbnail for image.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39598/thumb-image.jpg "Filename: image.jpg
Description: Broccoli, tomatoes, Nasturtium, Peppers")
![[Thumbnail for image.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39596/image.jpg "Filename: image.jpg
Description: Peaches, Green Beans, Tomatoes")
![[Thumbnail for image.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39597/image.jpg "Filename: image.jpg
Description: Purslane")
![[Thumbnail for image.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39598/image.jpg "Filename: image.jpg
Description: Broccoli, tomatoes, Nasturtium, Peppers")
![[Thumbnail for DSCN0313.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39601/thumb-DSCN0313.JPG "Filename: DSCN0313.JPG
Description: Hulless Seed pumpkins 1/3 of the harvest.")
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Description: Hulless Seed pumpkins 1/3 of the harvest.")
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Description:")
![[Thumbnail for rosmary.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39633/thumb-rosmary.JPG "Filename: rosmary.JPG
Description: wicking barrel along the East porch")
![[Thumbnail for lemon-mint.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39634/thumb-lemon-mint.JPG "Filename: lemon-mint.JPG
Description: for the lemmon fragrance flavor comes later")
![[Thumbnail for top-multiplying-onions.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39635/thumb-top-multiplying-onions.JPG "Filename: top-multiplying-onions.JPG
Description: using the side leafs")
![[Thumbnail for rosmary.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39633/rosmary.JPG "Filename: rosmary.JPG
Description: wicking barrel along the East porch")
![[Thumbnail for lemon-mint.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39634/lemon-mint.JPG "Filename: lemon-mint.JPG
Description: for the lemmon fragrance flavor comes later")
![[Thumbnail for top-multiplying-onions.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39635/top-multiplying-onions.JPG "Filename: top-multiplying-onions.JPG
Description: using the side leafs")
![[Thumbnail for lemmon-flavore.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39636/thumb-lemmon-flavore.JPG "Filename: lemmon-flavore.JPG
Description: I think this weed is called sorel but I amnot sure")
![[Thumbnail for DSCN0369.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39637/thumb-DSCN0369.JPG "Filename: DSCN0369.JPG
Description: This wicking bed is bock choy but there are a lot of other volunteers")
![[Thumbnail for chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39638/thumb-chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG "Filename: chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG
Description: snip off the individual florrets with my thumb nail")
![[Thumbnail for lemmon-flavore.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39636/lemmon-flavore.JPG "Filename: lemmon-flavore.JPG
Description: I think this weed is called sorel but I amnot sure")
![[Thumbnail for DSCN0369.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39637/DSCN0369.JPG "Filename: DSCN0369.JPG
Description: This wicking bed is bock choy but there are a lot of other volunteers")
![[Thumbnail for chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39638/chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG "Filename: chive-blossoms-spinich.JPG
Description: snip off the individual florrets with my thumb nail")
![[Thumbnail for alpine-strawberies.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39642/thumb-alpine-strawberies.JPG "Filename: alpine-strawberies.JPG
Description: These border and provide ground cover in many planters")
![[Thumbnail for california-poppy.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39643/thumb-california-poppy.JPG "Filename: california-poppy.JPG
Description: Beautiful color contrast and tast like safron")
![[Thumbnail for wicking-trough.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39644/thumb-wicking-trough.JPG "Filename: wicking-trough.JPG
Description: [aka urinal] New Zealand spinich and baby evning primrose leaf")
![[Thumbnail for alpine-strawberies.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39642/alpine-strawberies.JPG "Filename: alpine-strawberies.JPG
Description: These border and provide ground cover in many planters")
![[Thumbnail for california-poppy.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39643/california-poppy.JPG "Filename: california-poppy.JPG
Description: Beautiful color contrast and tast like safron")
![[Thumbnail for wicking-trough.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39644/wicking-trough.JPG "Filename: wicking-trough.JPG
Description: [aka urinal] New Zealand spinich and baby evning primrose leaf")
![[Thumbnail for flags.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39653/thumb-flags.JPG "Filename: flags.JPG
Description: with some colombine in the background")
![[Thumbnail for peone.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39654/thumb-peone.JPG "Filename: peone.JPG
Description: only one flower this year")
![[Thumbnail for snap-dragons.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39655/thumb-snap-dragons.JPG "Filename: snap-dragons.JPG
Description: with New Zealand Nightshade above.")
![[Thumbnail for flags.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39653/flags.JPG "Filename: flags.JPG
Description: with some colombine in the background")
![[Thumbnail for peone.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39654/peone.JPG "Filename: peone.JPG
Description: only one flower this year")
![[Thumbnail for snap-dragons.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39655/snap-dragons.JPG "Filename: snap-dragons.JPG
Description: with New Zealand Nightshade above.")
![[Thumbnail for taterharvest2.jpg]](/t/56106/a/39792/thumb-taterharvest2.jpg "Filename: taterharvest2.jpg
Description:")
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Description:")
![[Thumbnail for potato-rounds.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39806/thumb-potato-rounds.JPG "Filename: potato-rounds.JPG
Description: these were planted in the ground in the back of the greenhouse")
![[Thumbnail for potato-rounds.JPG]](/t/56106/a/39806/potato-rounds.JPG "Filename: potato-rounds.JPG
Description: these were planted in the ground in the back of the greenhouse")
![[Thumbnail for A-Few-Squashes-016.jpg]](/t/56106/a/45113/A-Few-Squashes-016.jpg "Filename: A-Few-Squashes-016.jpg
Description:")
