Category: brassicas

Brussels sprouts

CatherineLeave a comment

In a marathon session, I harvested and cleaned six pounds of Brussels sprouts. My sprouts dreams came true this year. Four pounds blanched and frozen, one prepared for dinner, and one in the fridge.

It seemed to take forever. Next year, do this task one or two stalks at a time!

Some were rotten. Others were just partly rotten. Some bug damage but not nearly as bad as it could have been. All in all, a successful crop.

The stalks.
The tops, leafier, in a different pile.
All picked and ready to clean.

No after picture. Too eager to get the job done and get over to Paula’s for dinner to remember to photograph.

Brussels sprouts

CatherineLeave a comment

I noticed aphids attacking the topknot of leaves on this robust brussels sprout. (What is the singular of brussels sprouts?) I decided to harvest it even though some of the sprouts are very petite. This is the variety Speedia, which I decided to try this year. I usually have a lot of trouble with them and these have performed great until this new aphid problem showed up. There are still a collection of plants out in the garden, all of which will probably get aphids attacking.

Broccoli overabundance

CatherineLeave a comment

This project took all afternoon. There was an overabundance of broccoli in the garden. It was impossible to keep up with unless we wanted to eat broccoli every day, twice a day. Some of it was flowering, some of it was way past its prime. I decided to harvest all I could find and go through it, removing the bad and preserving the good.

Result: five pounds of broccoli, chopped, blanched and frozen. Probably equally that amount tossed onto the compost. I’m glad that’s done.

Red Cabbage

CatherineLeave a comment

I dearly love a nice big red cabbage. For some reason, this year my cabbage seedlings did great. I can’t believe it. I have a cluster of them and they are all big and round. Very exciting. There is very little insect damage, which may be a concern really, but makes them especially beautiful.

Brussels sprouts and red cabbage

CatherineLeave a comment

It feels a little early to plant these but they are outgrowing their pots and I need them in the ground. So here are my little vigorous Speedia brussels sprouts seedlings and a few Mammoth red cabbage. I never leave enough space between my seedlings. I think I like the idea of them growing companionably in a cluster. And I’m usually short on space in the garden. I know they would most likely do better with an adequate amount of space. It’s something I’m working on as a gardener.

On the left, half a bed of brussels sprouts and cabbage under row cover. In the center, peas and fava beans. On the right, a row of broccoli seedlings under row cover. Eventually, the garden will look greener.

Broccoli planting

CatherineLeave a comment

I needed to get the broccoli seedlings out of the tray and into the ground. For one thing, white thready roots were coming out of the bottom of the blocks. For another, I needed the fine mesh tray for my little tomato blocks. Apparently I have only one fine-mesh tray.

So today was devoted to getting these guys planted.

First, Sam dug the bed, removing the biggest rocks and roots. We added some compost, greensand, and azomite and raked it smooth.

Prepared bed
Seedlings – broccoli at bottom

I planted about 40 seedlings down each side of the row. They are a little close together but not bad. I watered them in with a splash of Sam’s special alfalfa tea.

Seedlings planted

Then I had to set up the wires and the row cover. I used wooden stakes laid along the edges on one side, and heavy metal fence posts down the other. Plus some rocks. This is reused row cover, with one big hole which needed a supplemental piece.

Broccoli under row cover

I’m expecting this broccoli to do as well as it did last year, but we’ll see. Feeling optimistic!

Spring day

CatherineLeave a comment

An exciting day at Cross Road Gardens. It really felt like spring, for the first time, I think. A burst of gardening energy, although I only really worked for a few hours.

Frilly pink Hazelnut bud
Dug about a pound of leeks from last year, stored under mulch
Planted peas and spinach under a relocated trellis
Seedlings: Brussels sprouts and red cabbage
Kale seedlings
Broccoli and leek, shallot, cippollini seedlings
Indigo seedlings looking fresh
Removed mulch covers from garlic
Garlic sprouts ready to grow

Starts

CatherineLeave a comment

I moved my seed starting schedule two weeks forward. I think I started too early last year.

So far, so good. My alliums have sprouted and some kale. Still waiting on celery leaf and indigo.

Left: a full tray of mixed broccoli.
Center from top: kale and cutting celery, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, alliums.
Right: a pot of indigo.

Today I planted brassica seeds: broccoli blend, Speedia Brussels sprouts, and Mammoth red cabbage. All Fedco.

Baby kale sprouts.
Alliums: King Sieg leeks and Cippollini onions.
Two kinds of shallots: Conservor and Big Ed’s.

Red Cabbage Kraut

CatherineLeave a comment

Time to harvest that red cabbage that’s still growing out in the garden.

I think it weighed about four pounds? Didn’t make a note of the weight and forgot, of course.

Beautiful red coloration on the outer leaves.

And the interior was just packed with growth and very juicy. Perfect!

Shredded it all up in the food processor and massaged in salt. Now to ferment. I’ve never made sauerkraut with red cabbage before so we’ll see how we like it.