Several weeks ago I planted seeds and seedlings at my allotment garden. This weekend, I enjoyed my first harvest of leafy greens! They've grown so quickly. I picked an assortment of leaves and left the plants which I will visit again in a couple of weeks for a second harvest.
The greens include Rouge De Hiver lettuce and Early Wonder Tall Top beet greens for a little colour, Southern Curled Green mustard and arugula for a little pep, basil for aroma and taste, and Bloomsdale spinach to round it out.
Also in my plot are Ruby Red Swiss Chard, Broccoli Raab Rapini, Sugar Snap Peas, Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes; and zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and mini tomatoes, whose names elude me at the moment.
Most of my seeds come from Urban Harvest of Toronto, a great resource for organic seeds and many heirloom and rare vegetable varieties. I picked up some of their Carbonitite and Green Wisdom Herbal Plant Food too. I sprinkled the Carbonitite all over the plot before planting (only one application needed). It provides slow release of essentials minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, iron, etc. The Green Wisdom comes in little tea bags which I boil in a pot of water and let sit over night, then mix in with a couple of watering cans-full of water.
My eggplant and peppers aren't looking too hot though and I'm not sure what sort of amendments or special treatment they might need. Any tips?
Here is the mixed salad (pre-dressing) I made this weekend with my very first harvest of the year. It fed 9 people! And tasted so good, there is really nothing like eating veggies you grew yourself!
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I have had success with eggplants and some peppers in the sandy, full sun garden of my old house. Though never very successful with the standard green and red peppers I did have outstanding success with thai chillies.
ReplyDeleteI think you need an extremely sunny summer to get results with peppers.
Your salad is a work of art!
ReplyDeleteI actually had no idea that lettuce had well, a flavor, until I started purchasing organically-grown produce.
How lucky you are to have such a bountiful garden! ;)
Everything in my garden is coming along wonderfully, but my peppers and eggplants are still struggling Van. So far it has been a very mild, somewhat rainy summer so I guess I'm S.O.L!
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean Kathy! Most lettuce you find in stores is virtually flavourless!