Gardening Tips In NJ

The garden is producing!!! And its not just lettuce anymore.

This week the broccoli was finally ready. Because of the cool weather the heads of broccoli were the biggest I've seen in spring in many years. Usually by this time it's so hot that it begins to flower before getting to the size you see in the grocery store. One head of broccoli per meal and you see how quickly you've eaten your crop, especially when you've only planted 12 plants, and here you thought 12 was a lot (broccoli takes up a lot of space to boot!), although the main head has been harvested I know that in just a few days little shoots will begin to emerge and I can have a continuous harvest of little sprouts for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Keep in mind that if you don't pick them in time you'll see little yellow flowers in attempt to push out seeds.

As I was quickly eating up that crop I began to think about how much I consume as a single eater. I tend 9 (4'x8')raised bed boxes in my front yard. To some this may appear to be a large garden. I live by myself most of the time so primarily its just me that is being fed by this plot . As I toil in the dirt I realize that in an effort to grow my own food, it is but a drop in the bucket of what it takes to sustain me on my primarily vegetarian diet. I would need to cultivate my entire suburban plot to begin getting closer to growing what I would need for a full year, and that's just for little ole me!

We are fortunate enough here in NJ to have a rather long growing season and even longer if we extend with cold frames and the like, but even still, it is a stretch to get enough out of our own gardens. I say this as someone who considers herself a serious gardener, and one who does practice what she preaches in the garden. The point I'm making is it brings to light the unsung hero's of the dirt; the people who've made a career of farming. Most likely its the farmer who lives very far away from here who's livelihood is connected to rhythms of the season, planning, planting, managing, harvesting and all the frustration and dirty work in between. What we experience in our little home vegetable gardens is almost quaint compared to a working farm. I express these thoughts not because I think what we do at home doesn't matter, but because it brings to light our reliance upon them and that we appreciate the people who grow our food on a large scale. When we begin to engage in fundamentals of growing our own food we connect to a basic human necessity, one that is unfortunately taken for granted everyday.

In my greatest efforts to grow as much food as I can for as long as I can, I won't get by for an entire year and I still depend on the farmers, and that includes all the immigrants who work so hard doing the jobs most people would not. To all of them, I thank you! And so ........ I will grow vegetables that will keep after harvest for extended periods of time like; winter squash, carrots, beets, onions and garlic. I will also can dilly beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, hot peppers, strawberry, blueberry and raspberry jam. And dehydrate tomatoes, blueberries, herbs and peppers!

In The Garden Now

The Front Yard Farmer

Here are some tips and observations to help you along with your gardens.

Clearly this has been an aby-normal spring thus far, although all this rain is great and we haven't had to worry about watering, its been unusually cold too.
This causes me to be concerned about a few things, but grateful for others.

Firstly, if you are growing cool weather crops like; lettuce, greens, peas, broccoli, etc. this has been a terrific season. These crops love the cool weather and last a lot longer . Usually by now these types of plants begin to bolt (more on this later).

Broccoli has their heads and are getting sizable and ready for harvest. Because of the low temperatures, the heads are able to get pretty big before going to flower, which hot sunny days will stimulate. Remember when you cut that large head of broccoli, leave the plant and for the rest of the summer you will be able to harvest the little broccoli shoots, these will produce the rest of the summer every few days, if left too long these too will go to flower and try to set seeds.

The down side of this cooler weather is a lot of the plants are growing at a poky rate. Tomatoes and peppers especially love those hot sunny days, so you may notice that your plants are slow to get moving. Keep in mind that the soil too needs to be warm too and its still not there. But not to worry, it will warm up and when the sun finally comes out you'll notice rapid growth all around.

So... what you may ask is bolting? This is when your plant begins to set its seed. If this was a typical NJ spring, cool weather crops would be starting to set their seeds already. For instance when spinach wants to bolt you'll notice that the leaves begin to shape shift, getting more pointed and a center stalk will shoot up, shortly thereafter you will begin to see flowers and finally seeds.

This year I have left a few things to go to seed, like my chard, carrots, beets and spinach (all from plants that I put in last fall). Simply leaving one plant of each is enough for you to gather for the next season.

I would encourage you all to let at least one plant from your groups of plantings to go to seed. Firstly, so you can see what the full cycle of the plant looks like, and the obvious which is to collect your seeds for the following season. If you are so inclined, share with other gardeners. This way too you are closing the loop as a keeper of the seed, to be self sufficient and not reliant on buying your seeds each season. This simple act connects us to all the gardeners and farmers who came before us who kept strains of plants going for centuries.

If you haven't yet staked your tomatoes, do it now. If you planned on doing a space saving option in your raised bed boxes, get that trellis up for the climbing beans and cucumbers as well.

If a crop such as lettuce has reached the end of its cycle, yank it out, put down some compost and put in another crop, such as bush beans.

If this is your first season of gardening keep these few things in mind;
this is a year for learning, if something fails, yank it out and try something else.
Be observant, make an effort to be in the garden everyday, see whats new, different or disturbing, the plants are our best teachers, they will show you what you need to know. Be curious, get up close and be nosey, check under the leaves, what insects do you see? Is it beneficial or is it an intruder?

Remember, your garden is a work in progress, ever changing and always in need of attention. Enter with an open heart and see 'what is'. Yes, it might be weedy but there is something to learn from the weeds as well. If left alone the plants will just do what they do, make flowers fruits in hopes of reproducing themselves. Anyway you proceed in the garden surprises are guaranteed to arise. Enjoy this little ecosystem,!

In the green,

Wendy
www.thefrontyardfarmer.net