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Harvesting, Page 15

First Blueberry Harvest and Two More Zucchinis Picked

Today wasn’t such a busy day after all the rain we received yesterday from what was left of hurricane Arthur.  The entire garden received enough water for at least a few days and this is one less thing that I have to worry about.  The day before this large rainstorm (which was desperately needed) I was able to start the first harvest of blueberry season.

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits and you can do quite a bit with them with some great recipes.  This first batch was not that big and I probably can’t do much with the amount that I harvested.  The first picking is usually the smallest as well as the last of the season.  In the next couple of weeks more bushes will ripen and I will pick more so that I will be able to use them and enjoy them for as long as possible. (more…)

Finished Weeding Entire Garden and Picked First Zucchini

Sorry I have not written in quite a while but it has been incredibly busy around here.  I have spent the entire past week just weeding throughout the entire garden including blueberries and strawberries.  Weeds are a constant problem and more nuisance than anything else.

The good news is that after spending each and every day weeding the entire garden area I can now focus on caring for my plants.  Although weeding will continue throughout the rest of the season even if we get rain or not.  I will just have to make sure not to let the weeds grow wild before removing them or place a thick mulch around the worst areas.              (more…)

Third Strawberry Harvest With Zucchini and Tomatoes Flowering

Another harvest of strawberries was completed this week and this time I was able to get about two and a half pounds of these delicious berries.  I think this will be the most that I pick this year unless I have a very exceptional summer or late crop harvest.  The good news is that I picked more than last year which is always good news for any garden.

Some more great things are happening with some of my other plants as well.  Flowers are beginning to emerge from my zucchini and tomato plants.  The zucchini are actually starting to show signs of fruit which may or may not have been pollinated.  I always rely on bees and I try to stay away from pollinating plants by hand.  The only plant that I pollinate are the corn stalks when they are ready. (more…)

Transplanted Flowers, Herbs, and Some More Tomatoes

Setting flowers into the garden is best done at the same time that you are planting everything else.  Usually I tend to plant them once I get all the other vegetables and fruits set into the ground.  They will take some time to produce the blooms that you need to attract bees and insects.  The summer is where you should see them flowering and continuous blooms will come.

As previously stated I had some tomatoes grown inside after the first batch had begun sprouting or didn’t sprout.  I have added them into the garden and now I only have just a couple of more left that will soon go out probably by next week at the latest.  I also have a few more flowers that will go into the garden as well. (more…)

Picking Strawberries and Planting Last Section of Corn

The past weekend it was finally time to start picking the first harvest of strawberries of the 2014 season.  The best part about gardening is when you begin harvesting all your fruits of your labor because this is when all your hard work pays off.  Since these are ever bearing berries I will be harvesting them throughout the year as long as I properly care for them during the season.

I also completed the final section of corn and I can now start thinning out the plants that I don’t need.  I will most likely start with the first planting I did and remove what plants I no longer need and then I can give them some plant food.  They are heavy nitrogen feeders and I will be giving them exactly what they need during the next couple of weeks. (more…)

Picking Spinach Leaves, Weeding, and Adding Wood Ash

Yesterday I decided to pick some of the spinach leaves that were getting quite large outside.  I like picking the leaves when they get large enough that they can be used for a sandwich.  You can pick them small and toss them into a salad, but I prefer larger darker leaves rather than small paler ones.

One thing you need to keep in mind is not picking too many leaves because this could cause them to go to seed very quickly and that would end your spinach season.  So to prevent this from happening I always leave a couple of large leaves on the plant.

This way you are not shocking them with removing too much of the leaves.  As long as you keep feeding them they will continue to produce delicious green foliage.  Here are some pictures I took of before and after cutting the leaves. (more…)