I started
this report on June 18, a few days before the beginning of summer after an
unusually hot and dry spring, given temperatures during May and June running
well above average, as if it were July, and rainfall well below average. Today,
for example, it has been in the mid to upper 90s, and similar temperatures are
predicted for the next few days—not particularly hospitable to spring
vegetables. But given the very mild winter and early spring, I was able to seed
radishes and spinach outside in mid March, resulting in a long and productive
crop of both. I harvested the last of the radishes in late May, and they were
delightfully crisp, moist, and mild throughout the harvest period, thanks to
the special qualities of the variety that I grow—German Giant, widely
available, which remains mild despite increasing size and age. Last week, I
also harvested the last of my spinach, a flat-leafed variety, Corvair
(available from Johnny’s) that was starting to go to seed. Throughout the
harvest, it has been abundant and tasty, especially good for cooking.
At the same
time that I seeded radishes and spinach outside, I started seedlings inside of
my other spring vegetables—arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, napa cabbage,
radicchio, and romaine—which I transplanted outside from mid to late April. The
arugula, earliest of the greens, which I’ve been harvesting continuously since
early May, is a new variety, Apollo, available from Seed Savers in Decorah, and
it’s delightfully long-lasting without turning bitter, as well as being
distinguished by its uncommonly large leaves. The romaine, Little Gem, whose
small heads came to maturity in early to mid June, was so moist and tasty that
I served the heads sliced in half with a light lemon vinaigrette. The
radicchio, Chiogga (available from Johnny’s), is always later to mature and is
just now beginning to firm up. Also just beginning to head up is the
cauliflower, White Bishop and Snow Crown (both available from Johnny’s). But
the broccoli produced beautifully firm green heads during the first two weeks
of June and is now beginning to produce good side-shoots, as is typical of the
varieties that I grow, Blue Wind (available from Jung) and Packman (available
from Johnny’s). And just this week I harvested the first firm head of napa
cabbage, Minuet (available from Johnny’s), which I use for fresh salads with a
tangy vinaigrette of lime juice, rice vinegar, tamari sauce, grated fresh
ginger, and vegetable oil. All these cool-weather vegetables thrived despite
the hot/droughty weather, because I mulched them early on with a few inches of
straw, which I’ve never done before, and watered more frequently than usual.
As for the summer vegetables, I started seedlings of
tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors in late March, then transplanted the
tomatoes during the third week of May, the peppers and eggplants during the
first week of June. During mid May, I seeded swiss chard outside (rhubarb
color, widely available) and had a first picking of it last week. During late
May, I seeded bush green beans outside (Jade, widely available). The tomatoes
have been setting fruit the last ten days or so, the peppers are just beginning
to blossom, and the eggplants have not yet begun to form blossoms. I’m growing
several varieties of tomatoes and peppers and will report on them and their
fruition (as well as my growing techniques) in my next post. Until then, I
would strongly recommend the use of a straw mulch and weekly watering for
anyone vegetable gardening in the midst of the current heat wave and drought.
