Gardening

[newboots]

I want to post about my fettuccine carbonara recipe with fresh local asparagus and local shiitake mushrooms, but this is gardening, not a locavore thread.

 

[santacruz skier]

I want to post about my fettuccine carbonara recipe with fresh local asparagus and local shiitake mushrooms, but this is gardening, not a locavore thread.

Maybe you should start one.... That would be fun.

 

[bounceswoosh]

You know, I don't think we've ever had a "favorite recipe" thread ...

 

[Jenny]

Got the flowers all in the ground! Good therapy while the cat was having her issues . . .

 

[bounceswoosh]

So, what exactly does "bolting" mean for chard? Mine popped up again this spring. Historically I've only seen huge leaves growing from the base. Now there are stalks with multiple leaves for each stalk, but no flowers yet. Is that bolted? Still tasty?

 

[Powgirl]

Bolting = flowering.

Since your chard is not flowering, it should be quite edible! Once it shoots up a budding flower, it will become tough and bitter.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Bolting = flowering.

Since your chard is not flowering, it should be quite edible! Once it shoots up a budding flower, it will become tough and bitter.

If it starts flowering, can I cheat death by just cutting off the flowery parts?

 

[bounceswoosh]

On closer inspection this morning - it's just about to flower. Not sure these photos show it clearly. I then chopped off the offending flowering part. Maybe it will buy me an extra side dish. Ripping them out will give me more room to plant summer crops.

Anyway, I pulled up a garlic bulb "before it's ready" and sauteed the garlic slices with a pile of chard leaves, all in bacon fat. Delicious. The house does still smell quite strongly of raw garlic .... no vampires here!

 

[Christy]

In tiny urban garden news, greens, herbs, peas and radishes are happy. The blank spot in the middle is where carrots are on strike. I love how much I can cram into a bed.

 

[Kimmyt]

Carrots are my nemesis. They seem to take forever to germinate and then forever to get to harvest. I love their frilly little tops, though, so every year I try.

 

[Christy]

I never used to have an issue with them but last year and this they indeed take forever to germinate, and most don't germinate. Perhaps they don't enjoy my crammed bed as much as I do.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I never used to have an issue with them but last year and this they indeed take forever to germinate, and most don't germinate. Perhaps they don't enjoy my crammed bed as much as I do.

I enjoy it! It's beautiful and cheery.

 

[Kimmyt]

I never used to have an issue with them but last year and this they indeed take forever to germinate, and most don't germinate. Perhaps they don't enjoy my crammed bed as much as I do.

Hmm, well maybe since they are root veggies they don't have enough room for their roots to grow with all the other stuff? I love the look of that planter though, very lush!!

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

My (mini) farm has tomatoes and cherry tomatoes set and growing, the lettuce is ready to be in a salad and everything else has blossoms with produce on the way... : )

 

[newboots]

Hmm, well maybe since they are root veggies they don't have enough room for their roots to grow with all the other stuff? I love the look of that planter though, very lush!!

I thought that might be it, too, but wouldn't they germinate but refuse to grow big, if it was only about space?

I always had a bad time getting carrots to germinate.

 

[altagirl]

I don't know what the deal is with carrots either. I always get a handful of (delicious) carrots, but for the number of seeds that I plant, they don't seem to germinate well. I don't know if it's the amount of light or what.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I tried carrots for the first time last fall. Tons sprouted, but the biggest were maybe the size of a medium diameter yarn.

They did come back (maybe the same ones) this spring and seem to be getting a little bigger.

 

[VickiK]

medium diameter yarn

Do you mean worsted or aran?

 

[bounceswoosh]

Berries! I have hundreds of blueberries developing.

 

[Jenny]

I tried carrots for the first time last fall. Tons sprouted, but the biggest were maybe the size of a medium diameter yarn.

They did come back (maybe the same ones) this spring and seem to be getting a little bigger.

One strand? That's hysterical. You and my sister could garden together. When her kids were little she planted a garden but got discouraged when her sweet corn got no bigger than baby corn (like in Chinese food).