Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Kale, Turnips, and Cilantro

I finally got around to pulling up the onions before the storm yesterday. I was hoping for a couple of inches of rain as we sorely need it, but we ended up with just 2/3rds. I think other places have gotten a lot more over the last couple of weeks, but the rain seems to just miss us. The rain left us with a whopping 1.5 inches of rain over the last month which isn't nearly enough. Even though I water, the soil knows it isn't rain.

The onions were in the fall kale bed and I wish they could have been pulled earlier. But I filled in the kale gaps. Hopefully the kale will have time to mature. I now have no little seedlings upstairs under lights.

I noticed the turnips under the fleece row cover were up and up way too thickly. I'm really bad at sowing tiny black seeds evenly. Carrots are easier as you can see them on the ground. Not with turnip seeds. I thinned anywhere between 3"-6" apart (the rows are 6" apart). These aren't the small salad turnips and are best picked at 3". I also thinned to really vigorous seedlings. I'm pushing our season here to plant them so late. Timing is everything in the garden. I try to keep things on schedule, but they can slip for all sorts of reasons. The good news is that they seem to be growing well. No signs of flea beetles at all.

I also got out and sowed some cilantro. I sowed a couple of weeks ago and the plants are yellowed and stressed from the heat and lack of rain. I'd like to do a couple more sowings over the next few weeks. The heat could come back and sort of has to a degree, but if I keep sowing, maybe I'll get a really nice patch of cilantro going. The spring cilantro is setting seed now and I've been picking it off as it dries. Ditto with the dill. The fennel is in bloom, but no ripe seeds yet. I think I need to grow less fennel. I didn't use nearly any of the seed I saved and I'm OK with eating fennel bulbs, but I'm not in love with them.

And in great news - the fall raspberries have just started. These three made it into my morning bowl of oatmeal. Oh raspberries, how I've missed you.

8 comments:

  1. I'm planning to get some cilantro seeded this weekend. I've tried a few times this year but it keeps bolting or yellowing then dying. So I'll try again for salsa making season!

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  2. Congrats on the raspberries! It looks like I have a few berries on my spring planted canes, but they are still a long way off from ripening - it will be a really nice surprise if I actually get to taste some this year.

    I guess it's the time for cilantro - I'll be sowing some this week as well. I didn't get around to doing a spring sowing, but did have a couple of volunteers in the herb bed, together with a lot of dill. I have to check to see if those volunteers gave me any seeds.

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  3. Hah! Kale is what I've forgotten to sow for fall/winter. I need to remember to do that tomorrow. I just sowed two patches of cilantro in the garden and have my fingers crossed that the birds don't beat me to it again. I didn't get any of the last round because the birds got it as fast as it popped out of the soil. Mmm, raspberries, I wish I had a decent spot somewhere to grow them. The few plants I had going were mostly devoured by gophers. I only ever got enough berries for snacking in the garden but this year I didn't even get that.

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  4. Nice to see that your garden is looking so good these days Daphne! I'm really behind in my fall seed starting. I never got around to sowing broccoli seeds back in July. Oh well. My spring plants still look healthy and I think they will keep producing into Nov like last year. I started some kale last year but am growing it as a cut and come again instead of large plants. I'm glad there's still plenty of time for radishes, turnips and Asian greens.

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  5. I don't like fennel. Like yours our autumn raspberries are starting to fruit just as the summer ones have finished. Also like you we have a bit of rain but seem to have had less than most parts of the country.

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  6. We really have had a lack of rain this month. The storm you mentioned came through here and I thought we got a gentle soaking rain, but my garden beds are dry as dust. So that has set back the fall planting. I did set out some napa, kohlrabi, and choi plants today. But trying to get seeds to germinate in this weather is going to be tough.

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  7. Hi Daphne, I am not growing kale anymore or turnips or cilantro but my fall raspberries are starting also for which I am thankful. Our soil needs rain badly also. Nancy

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  8. It's time now for us to start our fall planting. I'm hoping to plant kale and turnips (among other things) over the next week. The gadget on your blog says your temp as I'm typing this is 91! That's quite a bit warmer than it is here, way south of you.

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