Garlic Cloves Ready for Fall Planting. Check out the Video Below!

Planting and growing garlic was so easy even I couldn’t have screwed it up.  The best part is at the end of summer was harvesting those beauties.  Plus, you should have seen the look on my friends’ faces as when they saw my bounty.   They all shook their heads and wonder how I had the time to grow garlic.  Heck, I wasn’t going to tell them how easy it was.   Let them be envious.  It will be our little secret. Okay?

Planting Bubblets

Want a head start to growing your own?  Well, you have two choices.  You can grow from cloves or bubblet, which are seeds.  The first time I grew garlic, I planted bubblets.    If you let the garlic go to seed, they produce little bubblets in their seed head.  You can purchase bubblets, which are significant cheaper than cloves.  I bought mine form Sand Hill Preservation.Be forewarned and most of all, be patient.  It takes two years to grow garlic if you plant bubblets.  I know.  I waited two years.  However, once you harvest garlic, you never want to plant bubblets.  Who has the patience to wait 2 years?

Want Garlic Clove Gratification?

We are a society of immediate gratification.  If you want that immediate gratification, you have to plant cloves.  Now, I could have planted the largest cloves from my fall harvest but to be honest, my cloves weren’t so big.  I didn’t cut the scapes and let the garlic go to seed.  This action may have caused the bulbs to be smaller.  (By the way, I have more bubblets then I know what to do with them.)  Perhaps, I need to fertilize the plants?

I sourced HUGE organic garlic cloves to plant (or to eat) from Grey Duck Garlic.  See the picture above to see that I am not exaggerating.   Okay, maybe the picture doesn’t do the garlic clove justice.  Think my Georgian Crystals are like Shaq and my home grown garlic is like Danny Devito.  Do you get the picture now?

Watch thebelow video as I show you how easy it is to plant garlic.  Grey Duck advised to grow them in the North after a killing frost.  Mine is October 15 usually.  If you live in a warmer climate like the South, read here.

Planting Instructions

Generally, you want to plant the bulbs tip up six inches deep six inches apart.  The rows should be 8 inches apart.  Garlic like compost.  Grey Duck advises you should apply manure and compost.  I don’t use manure.  (I have a hang up about it since I am worried about what the cow or horse eats.  Do you have issues about using manure?)

If you live in a cold climate, you need to mulch the garlic.  In the Spring, fluff up the mulch to let the garlic grow.   During the season  make sure you weed and provide the garlic with fertilizer until the scapes appear.  (The curly part of the garlic which will contain the bubblet.)

You must weed around your garlic plant.   Grey Duck Garlic warns that if you don’t weed, your bulbs will be smaller.  Mine were smaller since I only gave them compost.  Now, I know better and will be fertilizing them in the Spring.   See, a gardener is always learning.

I can’t wait to see how these giant garlic clove grow?  How about you?

Join the Conversation

• Do you plant garlic?  If so, have any tips to share?
• If you plant garlic which type of garlic do you like to plant?
• Anyone plant garlic from the grocery store?
• Do you like to cook with the scapes?  If so, have a recipe?

Similar Posts:

• Growing and Harvesting Garlic from Bubblet Seed
• Wild Garlic: Foraging in Your Backyard for Chive Like Onions
• Why Do My Carrots look like Spiders?
• Does Summer Gardening Really Need to End?
• Name that Plant If You Can

Harvested Sweet Potato-Watch my Harvest Video Below!

Sweet potatoes are chalk full of nutrients and easier to grow then you think.  This my second year growing them.  The prior year, I grew then in raised vegetable beds and had a so-so turnout.  The potatoes were skinny and I reasoned that my growing season wasn’t long or hot enough.

How come? These taters like it hot.  So, choose wisely for your climate.   A prior year,  I chose a northern variety sampler from Sands Hills Preservation Center.

Growing from Slips

Unlike, potatoes, sweet potatoes grow from slips, which resembles seedlings coming out of the potatoes.  I have tried growing my own slips but for some reason, I can’t.  For those who want to try their hand at growing their own sips, see here for the instructions.

The window sill method did not work for me.  I tired it twice and failed.  Next time, I will try the greenhouse method.  Have you grown your own slips?

Buying Slips

As I mentioned above, I bought my original slips at Sands Hills but the last couple of years, their supply has been unreliable due to weather.  This year after failing to grow my own slips, I purchased ones from Steele Plant Company.  The minimum order is 12 slips.  If this is too many slips, see if you can share an order with someone.

Which sweet potato slips did I order?  Beauregard sweet potatoes.  However, Steele offers other varieties.

Preparing the Beds

In the north, it is really important that you prepare your beds so the soil is nice and warm.  The first year, I planted at the end of June and used plastic trash bags to keep the soil warm.  Many people buy plastic mulch to keep the soil warm.

This year, I decided to use potato bags since they are black and would keep the soil nice and warm. (You know, I love these bags and have grown potatoes in them for a couple of years.)  I also like the idea of not losing a few beds to the taters since the slips should be planted 12 inches apart in rows  3 feet wide.  The vines are enormous.

I prepared the bags early with half compost and half garden soil.  Then, I cover the tops of the bags with black fabric to keep the soil warm.

My slips showed up in the middle of June.  I was nervous that I was planting the slips too early.  What happens if the soil is too cool?  Will the plants die?

Inserting Slips in the bags

Unlike beds, no mounding is required.  Simply take a pencil and make a hole.  Then slide the slip right in.  Give your new baby a drink of water and cover up the soil with black fabric or plastic mulch.

Now, sit back and wait for the vines to grow.  For awhile, our summer weather was not cooperating and I started to worry. Then, bam!  Hot weather and the taters took off and never look back.   And boy, can those vines grow.

Harvest Time!

Sweet Potatoes Ready for Harvest

I always harvest right before a frost is coming.  My frost date is October 15.  Beaureguard sweet potatoes mature in 90-110 days so I was right in line with the maturity time frame.  Someone told me once you see the flowers, which look like trumpet flowers, a month later, you should harvest the potatoes.

Onto the harvest!  Watch my video as I show you how to lift the sweet potatoes out of the bags.  They grow together like an upside down hand.  Be careful when you remove them so not to bruise them.  (Personally, I find it impossible not to bruise them.  I felt like bull in a china shop during harvesting.)

Some of the potatoes were so big it was like extracting a tooth out of someone’s mouth.  The length of the middle potato pictured above was about 12 inches.

Potatoes Growing Under the Bag

Some of the potatoes grow under the bag as well.  You got me on how this happened.

At the same time, I planted one slip in the soil near my sorghum.  The taters were definitively easier to harvest but significantly smaller.

Did they grow huge because of:

• A.  The compost/soil mix?
• B.  The black bags which kept the soil warm?
• C.  They liked being snug?
• D.  Who knows?
• E.  All of the above?

Curing them

After you harvest them, you let them cure.  Do not wash them.  Miraculous, all the nicks healed.  Purdue University Consumer Horticultural Extension states,

“Cure sweet potatoes by holding them for about 10 days at 80-85°F and high relative humidity (85-90 percent). In the absence of better facilities, they can be cured near a furnace to provide warmth. If the temperature near your furnace is between 65-75°F, the curing period should last 2-3 weeks. To maintain the required high humidity (85-90 percent relative humidity), stack storage crates or boxes and cover them with paper or heavy cloth. Packing in perforated plastic bags will also keep humidity high, yet the perforations will allow excess moisture to escape.

Once the sweet potatoes are cured, move them to a dark location where a temperature of about 55-60°F can be maintained during storage. Sweet potatoes are subject to chilling injury, so keep them out of the refrigerator. Outdoor pits are not recommended for storage because the dampness encourages decay. Good results can be obtained by wrapping cured sweet potatoes in newspaper and storing them in a cool closet.

Last time, I took the “humidity” requirement to heart and trying to cure them in my warmer.  All of the potatoes spoiled. I was heartbroken.  (I take gardening very seriously.  But, you knew that.)

This time, I cured them on my oven grates on my counter.  The temperature in my house hovers around 70 degrees.  I will be moving them to a cooler area now that they have cured.

Boy, I can’t wait to make my first sweet potato!

Join the Conversation.

•  Do you grow sweet potatoes?  Any tips?
• Have a favorite sweet potato recipe.  Please share the recipe link in the comments.
• Do you use potato bags for growing your vegetables?

Similar Posts:

• One Potato, Two Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes More
• How to Grow and Harvest Potatoes using Potato Bags
• Organic Gardening June Show and Tell. Sweet Potatoes, Squash & More
• Gardener’s Supply Summer Sale! Stock up at Great Prices.
• Does Summer Gardening Really Need to End?

Harvested Potatoes

How many of you would love to grow your own potatoes?  The only problem that seems to stand in your way is space.  Well, guess what?  My garden is  living proof that space is no longer an issue to growing potatoes, eggplant, or peppers. especially when you have potato bags.

Anna, you have a huge garden.  What are you talking about? 

Yes, you are right.  My garden is a wee bit out of control.  (I will never admit this to the hubby as he complains about the constant gardening chores.  Shhh.  Keep it our secret, okay?)  Even with my garden, I still  only have limited room for what I want to grow and potatoes take up too much room in my opinion.

So, over the last three years, I have been growing potatoes in potato bags with good success.  Not great but good.    This is probably due to the fact, that I never read the instruction on how to plant potatoes in the bags.  What I forgot goes down in bonehead gardening history.  (Not telling what I did.  You have to keep reading.)

Just a note, there are other methods to grow potatoes other than potato bags.  I just love them.  Read Organic Gardening’s “7 Ways to Plant Potatoes” which includes potato bags.

How to Grow Potatoes

In May, after the frost date has passed, I haul out the potato bags from storage.  The instruction states to fill them up a third of the way with a mixture of compost and soil.  Add a cup of organic fertilizer to the soil.  I use Cockadoodle Doo fertilizer.

Yes, this is the bonehead thing I forgot for the last three years.  And believe me it makes a difference.  Think golf balls compared to tennis balls.

Then you plant about five of the potato seeds.  I buy Yukon organic potato seeds from Gardener’s Supply.   However, you can purchase blue or red potatoes too.  My kids love Yukon potatoes since they taste so buttery.

As the potato vines start to grow, you keep adding the mixture of soil and compost until the soil line reaches the top of the bag.  During the season, the vines will flower.  The color of the flower depends on the inside color of the potato.  So,  if you plant blue potatoes, you get  magnificent blue flowers .  Personally, I wasn’t thrilled with the potatoes but then again, I forgot to add fertilizer.

Then you wait.  And wait some more. (No peeking.)   Then around September, the vines looks scraggly, decrepit, and just plain ugly.  Don’t be fooled in August when they start to whither due to the heat.  Once it gets cool again, you would think the potato stems had a second life.  I usually wait until right before my frost date to start looking for potatoes.  How about you?

Harvesting Potatoes

I have to tell you that harvesting potatoes is really fun. Watch the above video.  I felt like a kid in a candy shop when I found the potatoes!   Down right dirty fun.  Your kids or grandkids will love hunting for potatoes.  Great school project!  Those spuds could be anywhere in that bag.

My trick is to empty the dirt into a wheel barrel as I dig for yukon gold.  Many times, I discover potatoes that I missed in the wheel barrel.

You might be wondering, how did I do this year?  You be the judge.  Check out the picture at the top of the post.  The spuds look yummy.  In fact, my harvest was  much better than last year due to the addition of fertilizer!  (You can say it.  Anna, you are such a bonehead.  Yeah.  I agree.)

Storing the Potatoes

Don’t do what I do.  I wash the potatoes and then dry them.  Yes, another bonehead move.  Just let the dirt harden and then gently wipe off the dirt.  The potatoes need time to cure so their skin gets tough.

The most important thing you can do when you cure your potatoes is keep them out of the sun.  If you don’t, you will have green potatoes and they will taste bitter.  The University of Idaho states that if  eat green potatoes in great quantity, it can be toxic.  I put my potatoes in  those open webbed plastic pot trays and cover them.

According to the University, an ideal storage temperature for storing potatoes  is 45-50 degrees.  Inside temperatures tend to be 65 to 75 degrees.  If you store your potatoes inside, they will start to sprout at 30-140 days after harvest depending on the type of potato you planted. On the other hand, freezing temperatures will cause the potatoes to turn black or gray.

The University tested various storage methods and found that the ideal  location for storing potatoes is in a perforated  plastic bag in a dark, humid, cool place like a garage, basement or root cellar.  Storing them in a refrigerator in which you increase the temperature also works.  To create humidity, they also suggested placing a pan of water near the tubers or storing the potatoes in a perforated plastic bag.  They warned not to store them in an air tight plastic container.

I am probably going to store the potatoes in my refrigerator and increase the temperature.  I don’t have anywhere to store them in my garage.  (If you have a cabinet in the garage, this would work.)  My attic is too cold, and my basement too warm.   Remember, I have a really tightly constructed house.

Join the Conversation

• Do you plant potatoes? If so, which ones do you grow?
• How do you store your potatoes?
• Have you used the potato bags?
• Do you have any gardening bonehead moments to share?  Ah, come on.  It will be fun.

Similar Posts:

• Grow and Harvest Sweet Potatoes in Limited Space
• One Potato, Two Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes More
• Organic Gardening June Show and Tell. Sweet Potatoes, Squash & More
• Growing Your Own Raspberries and Blueberries
• Gardener’s Supply Summer Sale! Stock up at Great Prices.

Lettuce Growing in To Soiless' method of river rock

Richard Campbell, founder of To Soil Less, never dreamed fifteen years ago that throwing a watermelon seed into gravel could change the way the world grows our food.   What he discovered during his journey is that  plants can grow in river rock without the aid of fertilizer or soil.  He has successfully grown peppers, zinnias, lettuce, tomatoes, and a variety of different vegetables using his patent pending irrigation  and river rock method.

As a huge vegetable gardener, I was intrigued by the concept of To Soil Less.  As Campbell explained to me in a recent video interview, he has married geology with horticultural science.  I urge you to listen to the podcast or video below. Campbell’s explanation of how his system works is quite interesting.  He will turn you from a non-believer to running out to Home Depot to grab a bag of river rock.  Trust me.

Geology Meets Agriculture

Richard Campbell, To Soil Less' Founder

Campbell explained during the interview that plants only need river rock and his irrigation system to thrive.    It all made sense to me.  He states,

“[t]o Soil Less has been able to adapt the characteristics of sea life to land based agriculture.  In a nutshell, we engineered a specific sustained moisture level within a certain type of gravel to produce an long term nutrient rich growing environment.  After all, by definition soil is rock.  Soil is defined as “the portion of the earth’s surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus.”  Theoretically rock should provide nutrients in the same manner as soil.”

In a nutshell, the specific river rock provides the nutrients needed by the plants. So simplistic but Mother Nature has been using this formula for centuries.  His system works for both home and commercial gardeners.  Don’t have a plot?  Campbell explains that it will work for container gardening too.

Soil Has its Issues

As Campbell indicated, using soil to farm has its issues.  In the world of industrial farming, soil needs fertilizer and chemicals to grow plants and reduce pests.  But it comes with a cost to the environment.  According to SustainableTable.org,

“[c]hemical fertilizers and pesticides have turned agriculture into a leading source of water pollution in the United States. Runoff from factory farms kills fish, degrades aquatic habitats and threatens drinking water supplies. Additionally, factory farms use tremendous amounts of water, which cuts into our precious supplies of water that are not contaminated.”

According to Campbell, using his To Soil Less method reduces the need for pesticides since he hasn’t seen any pest damage to his crop.  There is no soil for the pests to lay their eggs.  However, I noticed that he hasn’t grown any brassica plants such as kale, broccoli, and cauliflower.   These plants are prone to pests that lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves.

To Soil Less Plants Need Less Water to Grow

Campbell states his method uses less water than plants in soil. The impact of using less water for growing crops could have significant impact on the world’s water needs.  According to a 2008 The Economist article,  farming accounts for 70% of water consumed by humans.  Worse yet, the  article further states 1.2 billion people, which accounts for about a fifth of the population in the world live where there are shortages of water.

With water scarcity on the up-rise due to global warming, To Soil Less’ lower methods might be a viable option to grow crops.

What Does this Mean for the World?

My first thoughts when Campbell explained his process is what could this mean for the world.  My thought immediately went to  Africa with its low soil fertility.   A 2006 report noted that  29% of African land is high or medium quality for cultivated agriculture with the balance of the land being either unsuitable or low potential.   Could Campbell’s methods change how African farmers can grow their food?  Given the low water requirement and ability of plants to thrive, To Soil Less’ method could change the landscape of Africa.

But What About the River Rock?

Here is where I was stumped.  What about the river rock mining?  How would we furnish that amount of river rock to countries with poor soil?  Could it be sourced from local rivers and streams to reduce transportation cost and impact? Could local rock be used as well?  If so, would mining cause environmental issues?  These are issues that would need to be flushed out to make To Soil Less’ concept be a viable world option.

But, Richard Campbell is onto something.  A concept with a little tweaking could change the world.  My wish is that an agricultural department at a university works with To Soil Less to help make Campbell’s vision a reality.  The Planet needs this fix.  All it took was a watermelon seed fifteen years ago.

Download the Instruction Manual

Campbell  is so sure To Soil Less’ method will work for others that he prepared a manual for download.   If you are a home gardener, you can download the manual for $20.  However, if you are a commercial grower, the technology is slightly different, and you can download the manual for $100.

Join the Conversation

• Would you grow your plants in river rock?
• Could this concept change the way we grow our food?
• How do you feel about this technology being used in countries with poor soil fertility?
• What are your thoughts about To Soil Less’ system?

Similar Posts:

• Live Roof: Green Roof System Built by Horticulturists to Last
• Vegetable Seedlings Not Cooperating! Angered the Gardening Gods?
• RainXchange: Rainwater Harvesting with a Unique Water Feature Twist
• Grobal: Hassle Free, Self Watering Plant System
• Grow and Harvest Sweet Potatoes in Limited Space

Newspapers Picked Up During my Recycling Raid

The only plants that like this year’s odd weather are weeds and my oregano.  By the end of the summer, my garden looked like a jungle.  The weeds laughed at the mulch and the oregano, well you know the story.  As I yanked, cursed, and basically threw my back out of place, the LED went off in my head.  Why not pre-suppress the weed with newspaper in the fall rather than the spring?

Well talk about a duh moment.

Every spring, I get out there and heavily mulch.  As I mentioned above, the weeds just over take the garden, even with me being vigilant.  They seem to have a membership at one of those swanky gyms and get stronger and stronger each year.  Am I the only one who suffers from overly pushy weeds?

To make matters worse, the birds like to drop wild raspberries  (wineberries) and moon flowers seeds in the garden.  And then there are the endless tree saplings that show up out of nowhere.

Just, one more thing.  (Sorry to be so whiny.   I have no one to complain to.  Hubby?  Cave boys?  Don’t want to hear it.  You are the only one who seems to listen.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  We must be kindred spirits.)  Who can forget grass that likes to grow in the garden, but not on the lawn.  What’s up with that?

Honestly, sometimes, I think Mother Nature is just trying make sure I don’t fall aspleep at the hoe.

What Makes Fall So Wonderful?

Fall weather is fabulous compared to the overly hot summer we had in New Jersey.  Nothing is worse then pulling weeds when sweat is pouring into your eyes.  But, it you don’t keep up with weed removal, they will rule the world. (In second place are deplorable slugs. Need I say more?  Third place goes to those green worms aka those that eat up by kale and then leave their poop.  G-d, I hate them.)

Now, I am my own worse enemy.  Had I followed my own sage gardening advice I would have never planted oregano in my beds.  Remember, oregano is such a thug, and it rules the garden.  Everything bows down to it.

Back to fall.  The weeds seem to take a little breather by the time fall appears.  I noticed there wasn’t as many of them since I was vigilant every month to yank them.  So, I decided it was time to peel back the mulch (or what was left of it) and put newspaper down on the bare soil.    Not one flimsy sheet but about three to four sheets.

In the past, I found the newspaper can hold back the weeds for about a year since some weeds actually grow in between the newspaper and the mulch.  *Sign*  You can’t win against weeds, but you can slow them down.

How to Source Newspaper

On recycling day, I changed from mild mannered, “think I am a farmer” Anna to commando newspaper stalker.  You might have seen my mini van pull up to your recycling pile. Yep, I am the one, who rifles through your recycling in search of newspaper. I can’t believe how many of you read People magazine.  But, don’t worry. I am very neat and put everything back the way it was.

So, here is the drill for you to become a newspaper comando.   Run quickly out of your car.  Sprinting is encourage.  Great for the heart.  Sift through your neighbors recycling.   Grab the paper.  Note, you can do some lunges when you reach for the paper since it helps shape the rump.  Again sprint back to the car with your treasure.  Keep that heart rate up.  Do this five or six times in the morning. People will stop you over time to ask you where you got that lean body.   (Anna, keep dreaming. )

Frankly, I am surprised that no one has asked what I am doing.  Who takes other people’s newspaper?

The only problem is less and less people are buying the newspaper, so my scavenger hunt is getting larger.  I even go to the recycling dump and fish out newspaper.  Worse yet, I wait until people show up with their paper, and ask them for it.  No one asks why I want their paper.  Not even curious.  Aren’t they dying to know? Would you ask?

I love newspaper.  Maybe I should start hording it now.  It is on the way out just like the incandescent light bulbs and land line phones.  I hope I won’t be on a corner begging for newspaper in a couple of years.  So worth it to suppress those darn weeds.  Oh, I forgot.  Unloved flowers.

 Join the conversation

•  How do you suppress the weeds?
• Do you clean up your garden in the fall or wait until the spring?
• Do you use newspaper to suppress weeds?  Plastic?
• Do you ever use newspaper in your vegetable beds?
• Is there a hormone I can take that makes me stronger than the weeds?  Suzanne Sommers, any ideas?

Similar Posts:

• Weeds Are Just Unloved Flowers
• How to Create a No Till Garden Bed
• Invasive Plants. Garden Thugs That Make Tony Soprano Cry.
• Are You Spending Too Much Thyme on Your Lawn?
• Shouldn’t America Recycles Day Be Called America Reduce or Reuse Day?

My Yellow Cucumbers Before Pickling

Do you enjoy pickles?  Ever thought of pickling your cucumbers?  A couple of years ago, I had an overabundance of lemon cucumbers.  (Remember, those yellow tennis ball type cucumbers I talked about a few years ago? ) Simply freezing the cucumbers isn’t an option since they become soggy.

So, I pickled the cukes.  The recipe I chose called for sugar so the pickles turned out quite sweet.  Everyone loved them.  Mind you, they didn’t taste anything like the sour type pickles you might be used to.

For those of us who have a sweet tooth, the cucumbers were a real treat.

Purchased Pickling Cucumber Seeds

Since the lemon cucumbers are round, I decided to purchase other cucumber seeds. Guess what?  The new variety of  cucumbers are yellow too but shaped more like a fat cucumber.  I guess I am destined to grow yellow cucumbers.

Given my overabundance of years pass, I decided to only grow 4 plants.  But the garden gods laughed at me.  And decided to give me a huge harvest anyway.   In a matter of weeks it seemed, I was blessed with soooo many cukes.  Heck, the plants are still producing and it is September!

Destined to be the Pickle Queen

Again, I ask.  What the heck do you do with all your cucumbers?  Cuke cookies?  You can only give away so many to  your friends.  Do you think it would be weird if I offered them to strangers on the subway?

So hubby decided to look for a couple of new pickling recipes. I guess the old sweet pickling recipe was passe.  (I guess this is akin to spicing up our marriage?)

He found a sweet recipe with celery seed.  Sounds mouth watering right?  And another more classic dill fermenting recipe. Pickles meet sun.  Very bohemian.

Sweet Pickle Recipe

Seedy Lemon Cucumbers

I have more of a sweet tooth than a sour one so I love the sweet pickles.  This time I took out all the seed which hubby thought was silly.  The problem with the lemon cucumbers as well as other long cucumber is they are both so seedy.  And the seeds are quite large in my opinion.  Even more seedy when you let them get bigger than they should be.

Who would ever think that Anna would not be watching her garden?  I swear they just grew ginormous over night. Darn  garden gods.  Do you have a problem with cukes getting too big before your very eyes?

Here is the recipe, “Refrigerator Cucumbers In Vinegar Pickles Recipe” from RecipeTips.com.  It is pretty easy:

“8 cups of cucumbers

1 thinly sliced sweet onion

1 cup wine vinegar

1.5 cups of sugar.  (I used Xylitol which is low glycemic sugar substitute.  I thought about using coconut palm sugar too.)

1.5 teaspoon of salt (I used fine sea salt.) (Should I have used kosher salt?)

1 teaspoon of celery seed.  (This ingredient makes the whole dish so don’t skimp.)

Peeling Fat Yellow Cucumbers. BTW, Vanna White is jealous of my hands.

Peel the cucumbers.  Then , thinly cut the cucumbers and onions. (Note, I realized this after the fact.  Cut the cucumbers in round shapes not like pickles.)  In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and salt. Whisk together and pour over the onions and cucumbers.  Refrigerate for 12 hours.  This recipe is beyond simple.

Wrongly Cut Peeled Cucumbers Ready for the Onions and Celery Seed

After 12 hours, I tasted one.  As I said before, the celery seed just added a new dimension to pickles.  Even Son #4 who like sour pickles like them   Son #4 is like Mikey in the Life cereal commercial.  Remember,  ”give it to Mikey. He hates everything.”  Then Mikey starts to vigorously eat the cereal.  Son #4 basically hates everything but meat and anything with sugar.

One thing I didn’t like about the recipe is the cucumbers were kind of wimpy.  Okay kind of soggy.  And it didn’t help that I cut them to resemble oblong pickles.

Personally, I don’t mind this but did a little investigation.  The Whatcom County Cooperative Extension of Washington State University suggests that you pickle only cucumbers that are not bigger than 2 inches in diameter.  Well, both my yellow cucumbers were larger.  WCC noted that some people use grape leaves in their pickling process.

The University of Missouri Extension suggests soaking cucumber  in ice water for 4 – 5 hours prior to pickling.  In addition, my recipe called for removing the skin.  Could this have contributed to my wimpy pickles?

So, I ask, given this recipe, how could I made firm oblong pickles?  Is this possible since the taste was so delish.

Sour Pickles, Recipe #2

When you see a “just like Grandma’s recipe,”  I bet you think like I do.  Wow.  This is going to be a winner.  (Am I the only one who is that naive?) Well, either I really screwed up or this recipe was just lousy.  You be the judge.  (Odds are against me.  *Sign.*)  Here is the recipe, “Kosher Garlic and Dill Pickled Cucumbers (Parve),” on About.com:

• “3-4 pounds (1 1/2-2 kilo) young and small cucumbers (dark green, firm, warty skin)
• 2-4 sprigs of fresh dill
• 6-8 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and cut in half
• water
• kosher salt
• white vinegar

Preparation:

1. In a large jar, place 2 sprigs of dill and 3-4 cloves of garlic.
2. Wash and snip off ends of cucumbers. Put cucumbers in the jar until it is full.
3. Add water to the jar, one cup at a time. Then add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for every 3 cups of water added.
4. Top with 2 more sprigs of dill and 3-4 more cloves of garlic.
5. Once the jar is filled to the top, seal jar. Gently shake to mix.
6. Set in window or outside where it will get some sun. Allow approximately 4 days for fermenting. If you like more sour pickles, can can let them stay in the jar for an extra day or two.
7. Refrigerate.”

Finished Fermented Pickles

Here is where I deviated.  I didn’t have jars that were big enough to accommodate 3 cups of water.  Perhaps, I could have fudged the numbers to make it work.  Personally, my cucumbers didn’t fall into the small dark green, warty skin department.  We ended up using a large glass bowl with a plastic lid.   Then set it out in the sun for a couple of days.  After 2 days, we check it and the pickles were way too sour for me.  We ended up throwing away the cucumbers.

Join the Conversation:

• What do you do with your overabundant cucumber harvest?
• Do you have a favorite pickle recipe?  If so, please list in the comments or link to it. Obviously, I need help.
• What type of pickling cucumbers do you grow?
• Have you made pickles with garden variety cucumbers?
• Do you think I could make recipe #1 work to make oblong pickles?
• Have you ever made “sun” pickles like Recipe #2?

Signed,

Pickle-less in New Jersey.

Similar Posts:

• Lemon Cucumber: When Are They Ripe?
• Help! Beautiful Yellow Worms Devouring my Dill Plants
• Eggless Tofu Salad for Meatless Monday. Lunch Will Never Be the Same
• Making Almond Yogurt Without a Yogurt Machine
• Vegan Walnut Meatballs. Soy and Gluten Free. Simply Delish

Edamame Pods

I love edamame and decided to grow it last year.  What I discovered is not only do I love it, so did my neighborhood ground hog.  He thought the leaves were delish.  So delish that he single handedly killed my plants. (Note, deer love the leaves too.)

Without the leaves, plants can’t grow.  Worse yet, the pods weren’t far enough along to survive. It was a sad day in Annaville.

Why I Grew Edamame

But why grow edamame rather than ordinary soy beans?  Edamame looks like a darker green  Lima bean but tastes better.   The pods look like pea pods but larger.  The beauty of this bean, is you can simply pop the bean into your mouth from the cooked pod.

In addition, according to The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, edamame is a complete protein.  The NSRL states:

“[t]his means that they have all the essential amino acids your body needs. Unlike other complete-protein foods, such as eggs or meat, edamame have no cholesterol and very little saturated fat. They are low in sodium. Recommended daily allowance (RDA) percentages may vary slightly by cultivar (and by frozen brand), however generally edamame are high in vitamin C, K, manganese and folate, and are a good source of dietary fiber, iron, calcium, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus and copper (www.nutritiondata.com, caloriecount.about.com).”

In addition, the NSRL states that there are no genetically engineered edamame seeds, and they can’t cross pollinate with GM soybeans.  Plus, the beauty of edamame they can be eaten fresh and therefore are more digestible  ”as the complex carbohydrates that occur in mature seeds have not yet formed.”

Outsmarting the Ground Hog

A little history first:

As many of you know, I have two vegetable gardens.  The original vegetable garden has a fence around it where the fence extends 2 feet underground.  Garden #1 was the orginal garden.  Then the garden bug bite me, and along came nine heirloom apple trees and  two peach trees.  After the deer almost killed my apple trees, we install a fence around the entire garden.  Had I won the NY Lottery, I could have  dug 2 feet below ground to install metal fencing which would prevent any critter from digging into the garden. Well, that didn’t happen and I take my chance with the critter digging under the fence.

So how did the ground hog get in if he didn’t dig?

Unfortunately, as I learned, ground hogs climb as well as dig.  And I offered him a really nice tree so he could literally jump into my garden.  Aren’t I nice?

(See a picture here of how open veggie garden #2.)

How to fool the ground hog? Put the edamame in the first protected veggie garden #1. The fence around that garden is pretty wobbly so it can’t hold a critter’s weight.  So, they can’t climb, I hope.

Planting Time:

I waited until fear of frost was gone and planted the seeds. (Three inches apart in rows of 15 inches apart.) They sprouted easily and there was no signs of the ground hog. But as you all know the weather in the northeast has been horrible.  Cold spring, wet summer, then hot as heck summer, and now a hurricane coming.  Mother Earth, can’t you make it easy on me just one growing season?

Just in case I made you seem that growing edamame is a walk on the beach, Washington State University Clark Extension states.

“[e]damame is susceptible to the same diseases as most bush beans, but with a little care these are easily prevented. Avoid wetting the foliage to prevent powdery mildew. Rotate your crops to avoid soil-borne diseases and the depletion of specific soil nutrients. Potential pests include cucumber beetles, bean weevils, and Mexican bean beetle. Inspect your plants often and prevent any of these pests from getting out of control. Slugs and birds love the tender shoots as they emerge from the ground. Bait for slugs and use a row cover to protect the young plants from birds. If you live in deer country, don’t even think about planting edamame anywhere except inside a tall sturdy fence.”

I waited and waited, and finally the pods appeared.  The plants were about two feet high and resembled other bean plants that I grew. Oddly, the pods were hairy. The ones I ate at my sister’s house were clean shaven.  What gives?

When to Harvest:

Edamame leaves right before harvesting

You should harvest the pods when they are bright green and the beans in the pods are touching.  In addition, the leaves start to yellow as well.  (See above.)  My pods already started to brown as if they were drying.  In addition, the pods weren’t as big as I had hoped.  I think weather played a big part in my so so harvest.

Note, that when one pod on a plant is ready to harvest, all the pods are ready on that plant.  There is about a 2 week window before the pods start to yellow.  However, you can let them dry on the plant and use them as a dried bean.

Cooking them:

I blanched them for about 2 minutes to keep their color. The bean freezes well.  (Note,  my idea of blanching ends up cooking them. )  Alternatively,  you can  steam them or cook them in boiling water for five to 10 minutes.  (Personally,  I think five minutes is enough.  You look to see if the pod is slightly opening.)  Some people salt them.  Again, I don’t think the bean needs salt.

Then simply cool them, and open the pod and pop this green goodness into your mouth. I found the pod too fibrous to eat.

The pods? They are yummy!  So, for all of you “I hate Lima beans people” out there, use edamame instead of Lima beans in your recipe.  You really can’t tell the difference.

Join the Conversation

• Do you like eating edamame beans?
• Have you ever grown them?  What has your experience been?
• Do you hate lima beans?
• How do you like to use edamame in your recipes?

Similar Posts:

• Growing Buckwheat from a Backyard Gardener
• Growing Amaranth and Enjoying the Super Grain all Year Long
• It’s Gardening Time! Roll out the Compost!
• Growing and Harvesting Garlic from Bubblet Seed
• Organic Gardening June Show and Tell. Sweet Potatoes, Squash & More

Garlic ready for picking

Two years ago, I purchased hardneck garlic bubblets from Sand Hill Preservation. (See here for a difference between softneck and hardneck varieties.)  Hardneck varieties fare better in my northern climate.

I learned through this whole process that the bubblets are round garlic seeds that grow from the top of the plant.  (See the picture above of the “flower type top.”)   The cost was significantly cheaper than buying garlic cloves  However, the downside was that it would take two years for me to produce garlic.  I could wait, I rationlized.

And boy did I wait.

Planting Garlic in the Fall

The first year, I planted the seeds in the fall, probably later than I should have.  Nothing came up.  Not a wisp.  Nada.  Now, I have been known to screw up things in my garden plenty of times.  So, was this another one of my screw ups?

I waited with bated breath the whole winter.  Mother Nature was kind to me and in the Spring she rewarded me with wispy plants that looked like a leeks when young.  But then the heat came, and the wisps died.

Where did the Garlic Wisps Go?

What’s up with this?  Did they die?  Did I kill them?  Again, I played the waiting game.

Fall came, and the wisps were back and taller.  Whew!  A big sign of relief.  (Have “patience, grasshopper.”)   But, I knew not to get too excited since I had another year to go.

The Second Year of Growing Garlic

Fast forward through our terrible winter.  And Spring at last.

And?  (The envelope, please?)

And we have large garlic stalks!  I felt like Ed McMahon came to my door with a $1 million dollar check.  Success at last!  Even I couldn’t screw up the garlic!

Again I waited.  Became slightly (okay, really impatient.)  like a three year old that keeps nagging  you,”is it time yet?”

Is it Time Yet to Pull the Garlic?

And the plant whisperer told me (who by the way is a cross between young Robert Redford and Brad Pitt with a little of Jake Gyllenhaal in them.) when three of the leaves start to yellow and brown, it is time to pull your garlic.

Again, I waited and watched.

What are those Funny Heads on the Top Developing?

How dumb am I?  At first blush, I thought, could this be the garlic on top?  It looks exactly like garlic with a skin.  Did I plant this heirloom variety that has a head in the ground and on top?  (Remember, this is my first time growing garlic.  Stop laughing at me.)

Even my cousin remarked don’t forget to eat the scapes and pointed to the plant.  Apparently the scapes are delicious.  I looked puzzled and had no idea what the heck was a scape?

The Garlic Bubblets

The tops were freaking me out.  What was I supposed to do with them?

Cut the Scapes.

Most people (not me) cut the scapes  about 6 to 10 inches below the flowering heads.  The theory is the garlic heads will be smaller if you don’t cut the flowering heads.  Michael Phillips of Heartsong Farms stated that you shouldn’t cut the scapes until about week before harvest.  At that point, Phillips says the curled scapes will straighten up.  (Note, my garlic did not curl like other hardneck varieties.)  He further notes, that waiting until a week before harvest to remove the scapes helps to increase the longevity of storing the garlic.

If you grow garlic, what do you do?

Once you cut your green scapes, cook them!  (See scape recipes here.)

 The Moment of Truth Digging up the Garlic

Digging up the Garlic

The Time had come. Half of the leaves were yellow/brown. I took my small shovel and loosened the dirt around the bulb and pulled. Try not to just pull. Son #3 ripped out a few of the bulbs and one broke.

Garlic at Last!

After you dig out the garlic, simply shake off the dirt. It won’t all come off. I carefully teased the dirt from the end of the bulbs.

Then the bulbs need to be cured for about two week or more so that the garlic can be stored. Some people hang them up in their garage, in a shed, or in the house.  I didn’t have a place to hang them so I have the bulbs stretched over the kitchen sink.

What about the Bubblets?

The bubblets can be stored in a brown bag and planted in the fall.  I harvested the garlic right before I went on vacation.  I didn’t have to time to find out what to do with the bubblets, and quickly stored the bubblets attached to the scapes in the refrigerator.  Hopefully, the bubblets will be okay when I return!  Do you think they will be okay to plant in a few months despite my “screw-up?”

Join the conversation:

• Have you successfully grown garlic?
• Have you used the bubblets to grow a new group of garlic?
• Cooked the scapes?  Any favorite recipe?
• Have you braided your hardneck garlic or simply cut off the tops and stored them in mesh bag?

Similar Posts:

• Planting Garlic in the Fall for Next Summer’s Harvest
• Wild Garlic: Foraging in Your Backyard for Chive Like Onions
• Growing Buckwheat from a Backyard Gardener
• Growing Amaranth and Enjoying the Super Grain all Year Long
• One Potato, Two Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes More