Red Russian and Lacinato Kale

I planted my Kale early last spring and let it grow all summer long. I have never grown Kale before, and the plants haven't really got as big as I  expected them too. but they went months with out a drop of rain. They seem quite foolproof to grow, The Lacinato or dinosaur Kale are more tender, and I would probably grow them next year, they seem to have gotten crowded out by the Red Russian which is a larger more robust plant/

Black Spanish Radishes

I grew a few of the round black Spanish radishes and was really impressed with them, They got about as big as tennis balls, and had a really good flavor. Early on they were too hot, but by the end of October were very good. I had some friends that liked them as well. I would like to grow more next year and the want to try the oblong ones also.

Argentum and Bright lights Swiss Chard

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I would highly recommend planting Bright Lights Swiss Chard, because it is so pretty, and the stems add nice color when you are cooking. It doesn't get quite as big as some of the other varieties, but I think it is a little more tender. I also grew a white stemmed variety called Argentum. This is how my patch looked at the end  of October. I picked it over and over this summer, even when it was one hundred degrees out. I never watered it and it did great under semi desert conditions. I have really developed almost a craving for it cooked. I brown turkey sausage in a frying pan, with olive oil and water, so it doesn't burn. Then I put a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a teaspoon of fermented fish sauce in the pan. Also a pinch of hot pepper and black pepper. Then put in the Chard and cook until it is wilted. Serve it on rice or boiled, or steamed potatoes with some soy sauce.  

Calabrese Broccoli Rabe

This is my one plant of Calabrese Broccoli Rabe that made it some how through the summer, and rabbit attacks. The plants keep getting bigger and more productive as the season goes along. Really we couldn't keep up eating the broccoli from this one plant. I decided that I am not going to plant the conventional broccoli anymore. You only get one head basically and that's about it. If you planted 3 or 4 of these you would definitely have some to freeze. What you get is lots of small heads.

Final 2012 Tomato Photo

The plants never quite reached 16 feet. I did hit a solid 15 1/2. At the end they came on strong. I still have quite a few ripening in the house to eat. However it was a terrible year for tomatoes with excessive heat and drought. This was the first year in my life that I ever watered tomatoes. I intended to do so from the beginning of the year. I am not sure that I will again next year, given the expense of city water, and the time required. I am sure the water increases volume of production, and if one is attempting to grow giant tomatoes will help in size and quality of fruit. Really tomatoes desire much more water than is commonly imagined and also the roots go down much farther also. Under proper conditions as much as five feet. AsIi write this I think I have convinced myself to water again. I watered daily, and as much as 15 gallons a day, per plant. I was impressed with the Purple Cherokee, Brandywine, Radiator Charlys, and Gold medal.

Bastard Trenching

At times the mattock comes in handy.

I don't have a picture to go along with this note, however I discovered one evening that I have been misrepresenting myself as double digging my garden, when I have actually been Bastard Trenching it. Apparently here are the differences. In some soils or locations, you can dig down and remove two spade lengths (spits) of soil from your trench before you hit subsoil. I use both a Round Point Tiling Spade, a Square Point Shovel with a short handle, and at times a Mattock. The subsoil imagined, as soil not remedied with organic matter and undesirable to mix it in the topsoil. Then having removed approximately 24 inches of topsoil, the underlying subsoil is broken up once again by the Round Point Tiling Spade. Then one takes a potato fork and works in manure or compost in this layer which is three feet down from the surface. However  Bastard Trenching is used,( such as in my case where the subsoil is pure wind deposited clay), and only 12 inches down from the surface. The good soil is only 12 inches deep. So it is removed and then the second layer, broken up amended and so forth. In this case one inches deeper over the years until the soil can be properly doubly dug. Sorry if I have misled any one on this point of distinction.

Sweet Potatoes

I tried to get a sweet potato I had bought in the organic section to take root in a jar of water. This is what we used to do when I was a kid

It was obvious that it had been treated with something, and it took weeks and weeks to sprout, it finally did and this is what I got off of one plant.

Fall Calcot planting

I've been busy planting y Calcots, which will make nice spring green/scallion onions. Yesterday I planted 50 lbs/25 kilos and I plan on doing 50 more today. They are my  manure winter cover crop. You have to use the Spanish White bulbs, otherwise they don't taste so sweet, nor grow tall and slender. Last year I tried the Yellow Spanish and the worked ok, but sort of wanted to bulb up. Go with the White Spanish.