Harvest 2008

A combination of an email from someone who asked what produce I grow on my property, plus the 46 degree F last night that swept through here, prompted me to take stock in the harvest this season.

cortland apple
bartlett pear.
Italian plum,
Queen Anne cherries,
waiting for a peach tree to mature
black raspberries
red raspberries
autumn raspberries (pink)
strawberries
blueberries
brown turkey figs
Meyer lemon
a small olive tree
Ogen (Ogan, Owhatever) melons.
about half dozen different heirloom tomatoes (red, yellow, and orange)
tomatillos
cayennne, jalopeno, and a couple hot peppers the names of which I can't remember
sweet red peppers
eggplant
okra
pumpkin
four different beans
typhon greens
three separate lettuce
Brussels sprouts (purple and green ones)
broccoli rape
heirloom corn
onions (small version)
leeks
garlic
red and striped beets
yellow and red potatoes
asparagus
sage, thyme, lemon thyme, tarragon, oregano, borage, three types of basil, rosemary, lavender, nasturtium, and so on

and I'm surely missing something.

Failures:

The apple flowers got zapped in spring and the cherries got rained on too heavily.

The summer was unusually cool and so heat-loving plants (okra, basil, eggplant) didn't produce well--the eggplants never matured.

The melons produced, but again, not enough heat--they likely will not mature.

I don't know why I grow heirloom corn--it never gives me much to eat; it's got real pollination problems, and I've tried every instruction to fix the problems, to no avail.

Beets suffered from poor germination this year, and I don't know why.

Half the garlic was rained out (garlic hates to have wet feet) but I grow so much that I managed to reap enough to keep me at least until February.

Everything else was a resounding success, making 2008 an overall good garden harvest.

PS: I eat only the first crop of figs--the second usually gets hit by frost, but I pray each year that it won't happen again (so far, my record for prayers unanswered goes unbroken).

The olive tree is a curiosity and never--so far--produced an olive.

The Meyer lemon produced this year for the first time--the fruit takes forever to mature.

These three trees go indoors for winter, but now that I have a greenhouse, I intend to put the fig trees in there--one of them.

How wonderful is that ? Bravissimo ! My yard wants to be like yours when it grows up.

I am just starting to prepare my first raspberry bed for next year and starting to be more watchful
of the weather for the lemon,lime, blood orange and olive trees. You are correct about the Meyer Lemon- I am glad
I resisted the temptation to harvest too early.

I screwed up on the figs this year- left the pots unprotected from the sun and cooked the roots.
Only 2 small figs - forget about the second crop. These come into the garage in winter and
do very well.

I started most veg from seed this year- great germination and early growth but timing all wrong-
way too early. I need to work that out for next year.

Starting to make trips to the horse farm for some earth food for the raised beds for next year.
What a hopeful job !