Undercover Crop

Pulled back the bed cover, and pulled off the under-cover today and what did I see: Many of the greens I planted in November made it through the winter. Salad in a week or two. Had we been here this winter to oversee things and manage the bed in a timely manner, I have no doubts the crop would have been even more robust.

Where the under-cover blew off (bare spots), the greens disappeared; where it stayed on, the greens survived, if not thrived. These are a mixture of a red leaf lettuce, tatsoi, dandeloin, and bok choi. 

"How 'Bout Them Apples?"

Just placed my spring order today with Seedsavers in Decorah, Iowa. In addition to the many seeds to be sown this season, I ordered five varieties of apple trees which will be grafted onto semi-dwarf stock by the good people at Seedsavers, and sent out in the spring of 2016. I plan to plant at least three of these trees in the parking strip between the sidewalk and the street (after I cut down the two maples that will become firewood). In a few years, apples should be available for picking by passersby.

Apple Tree, Blacktwig 0058 (Paragon). Tennessee, c.1830. Round fruit that is medium to large in size. Flesh is yellow, juicy, aromatic and of very good quality for dessert, kitchen and cider. Ripens late fall; stores well.

Apple Tree, Brown Sweet 0060 New York, 1905. Large, ovate to oblong conic fruit. Flesh is fine textured, rather tender, juicy, very sweet with very good quality. Adds sweetness to cider and also excellent for kitchen use. Ripens mid to late September through October.

Apple Tree, Knobbed Russet 0049CG Sussex, England, 1820. Completely unique, medium size, round to round-oblate fruit that more resembles a bad potato than an apple. Skin is orange yellow with rough scaly grey and black russet welts and knobs. Flesh is greenish yellow, crisp, fine textured, somewhat dry and has amazing intense sweet/subacid flavor. Ripens October.

Apple Tree, Monarch 0076 Essex, England, 1918 introduction. Large, flattish shaped apple. Flesh is crisp, tender, white, subacid to sweet. It has been a very reliable, annual bearer and an excellent pie apple at Heritage Farm. Ripens early September - October.

Apple Tree, Woodard 0095 Origin and history unknown. Large, apple similar in shape and flavor to Golden Delicious. White flesh is juicy and has delicious sweet/tart flavor. Not the Illinois Woodard. Ripens mid-September - October.

Iceberg Lettuce

We're into December and the salad greens have survived quite well so far, despite the recent below-zero windchill. Even the more recently planted red leaf varieties (background) are growing well. In addition to the covered hooped-canopy, I place an additional double "blanket" directly on the plants using theAgribon+ AG-19 floating row cover fabric I use for the hoops.

The empty squares on the left row are from flowers which I pulled. Other than that, every square is coming along. Even the trellised peas (planted on a lark) are holding their own.

Undercover Salad

As of yesterday, eight kinds of lettuce, mizuna, tatsoi, spinach, bok choi, daikon, kale, collards, carrots, chard, Italian parsley, and thyme: that's what's still growing under these snow-clad half-domes.

Just a short run from the front stoop for salad.

Now if only they'd legalize that other herb.

Everything's Coming Up Brussels

Harvested Brussels sprouts and carrots this week. Both are sweet and delicious. The kale and collards in the same box have also survived thus far.

Each stalk yielded over two pounds of sprouts.

I like to think the snow insulation helped protect everything endure through the temps in the teens and twenties the past two weeks.

Tucked in for Fall

I've finally taken down my overburdened tomato cages, cleaned out the boxes, and put them to bed for autumn. At the same time, I've discovered a way to attractively attach functional row covers without the use of unsightly sandbags. These row covers (Agribon+ AG-19 Floating Row Cover) were purchased from Johnny's Seeds. They provide frost protection down to 28°F/-2°C. Hopefully, with the warmer micro climate of our sun-facing and sloping front yard, we'll get some produce for a few more weeks. Check back and watch me eat crow.

I stapled each side of the row cover to an 8-foot cedar 2"x2". Then I rolled each side taut over the hoops, and tucked them through 1 1/2-inch galvanized plumbing clamps on either end of the box. The four bricks hold the cloth down on each end. So far, they have proved quite stout in wind and rain.

Makes a pretty simple, clutter-free box, with no heavy (and unsightly) sandbags to move. To access each box, just move the bricks and slip the 2"x2"s out from the clamps and roll back.

Looking west to an early winter sky. Under cover, I still have several types of lettuce, collards, kales, Brussels sprouts, peas, bok choi, spinach, tatsoi, mizuna, chard, carrots, and a few herbs.

After the election, I took down all yard signs but the Green Party candidate's. He's the only one I didn't have to plug my nose to support.

Curb appeal? I think so.

Stop, already!

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. About every other day, we have to figure out what to do with another motherlode of tomatoes: eat 'em, give 'em away, roast 'em, freeze 'em, sauce 'em, throw 'em at squirrels. Meanwhile, the 12-foot tall plants are threatening to overwhelm and collapse my once-considered "overbuilt" cages. Waddyagonnado?

*Stay tuned for the fall planting update.