Wow, what a great fall harvest I had this year. I was able to harvest the very last of the cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi on Thanksgiving morning, November 28th, before the really cold weather set in (see pic below). The nice thing about cabbage and kohlrabi is that it will keep for about 2 months in the refrigerator. In fact, I still have about four heads of cabbage and five heads of kohlrabi still in the refrigerator today. I started harvesting the first of the fall carrots on December 10th (see pic below). I still have about half of the carrots still in the ground (under a plastic covered hoop). They should keep for another month or so, unless the temperatures get below zero and the ground freezes. Overall, I have been really impressed with this year’s fall garden. Now I will be focusing on taking inventory of all of my existing seeds and placing new seed orders for 2025.
I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and productive 2025 New Year!!
The late November garden is still producing, but it is definitely getting colder now. Central Indiana had its first measurable snow of the fall season on November 21st, about 2.5 inches of wet snow, after having been near 70 degrees two days before that!! I had the cabbage, kohlrabi, and the two last remaining cauliflower plants covered with row covers, and they did fine (see pics below). The carrots and lettuce continue to be covered with plastic covered hoops. Despite the weather, I have continued to harvest cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower. I have probably harvested the last of the lettuce for this year. I will let most of the smaller lettuce seedlings that self-seeded this fall continue to grow all winter under the hoop (although some will probably not make it to spring). The carrots are probably ready to harvest, but I will not start harvesting them for another few weeks. I harvested all of the brussels sprouts that I could over the last few days. The crop this year was very poor, due to all of the insect pressure. Despite the cold, aphids continue to be a major issue on the brussels sprouts this fall. I have never seen aphids this bad in the garden before. They have even started to spread to the remaining cabbage, kohlrabi, and cauliflower plants. All of The broccoli has been harvested and I opened up that part of the bed to let my chickens feast on the remaining plants (see pic below). Right before the snow, on November 20th, I picked the last of the jalapeno and banana peppers, which is the latest I have ever picked peppers! I was even able to harvest some Red Norland potatoes yesterday (see pic below). These were left over volunteer potatoes that came up from the spring cop. The top-setting onions I planted in late October have now started to shoot up green shoots. The weather forecast for the next two weeks is for cold temperatures (with lows under 20 degrees). With all of that cold predicted, I will be harvesting all of the remaining cabbage, kohlrabi, and cauliflower in the next few days, so my refrigerators should be packed full of produce. Time to make some coleslaw and sauerkraut. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Cabbage Under the Snow Covered Row Cover, Picture Taken 11-21-24Snow Covered Garden With Cabbage and Kohlrabi (Foreground) Under Row Covers, Picture Taken 11-21-24Two Cauliflower Plants Under Snow Covered Row Covers, Picture Taken 11-21-24One Jalapeno and One Banana Pepper Plant Covered With Snow, Picture Taken 11-21-24Volunteer Red Norland Potatoes Harvest, Picture Taken 11-26-24Chickens Feasting on the Leftover Broccoli Plants, Picture Taken 11-13-24
Garden activity is really starting to ramp up. Pea seeds (Green Arrow) were planted out into the garden around the third week of March and have since germinated. These were the saved pea seeds from last year’s crop and almost every pea seed germinated, which is great. Lettuce seedlings were transplanted out into the garden under the plastic covered hoop on April 9th. The following number of seedlings were transplanted out into the garden on April 18th: 17 broccoli, 6 cabbage, and 6 kohlrabi. Brussels sprout seedlings will be transplanted out in about another week. Seed potatoes (Red Norland and Superior) were planted out into the two raised beds and various grow bags in the first week of April. Some of these have started to emerge from the soil.
Harvest of the first of the green onions (the top setting onions that were planted last fall) started on April 8th, with more to come. Harvest of the overwintered lettuce (Sierra) started on April 9th. Harvest of the early March seeded radishes (started under a plastic covered hoop next to the overwintered lettuce) began on April 17th with more to come.
All of the pepper and tomatoes seedlings were transplanted into larger pots about one week ago. They are still in the cold frame and will remain there until they are ready to be planted out into the garden, probably by the 2nd week of May.
The weather and the garden has finally started to warm up and dry out since the garden received over 3 inches of rain in a short 24-hour period about two weeks ago. Before then it had been very dry.
The total solar eclipse that took place here in Indianapolis on April 8th was awesome. The one thing that surprised me the most was how dark it was during the approximately 4 minutes of the total eclipse. I have experienced at least 2 partial solar eclipse in the past and those were pretty interesting, but nothing like this. The time leading up to totality was interesting as well. The best way to describe it was that it looked like the sun was filtered, and you could feel the lack of warmth of the sun on your skin during the hour or so leading up to totality. The speed that it went from light to total darkness also surprised me, it was in a matter of a few seconds. Being a weather geek, I was also surprised by the drop in temperature. I heard that temperatures dropped around 10 degrees during totality, which I would believe. I was also interested to see how my chickens would react to the eclipse. They had been free ranging in the back yard for a few hours before totality. During the time leading up to totality they seem unaffected, but when totality started (total darkness) they started to make their way to the coop, but did not actually go in. I do have a light in the coop, which stays on most of the day, which probably confused them a little as well (see picture below). After totality, when it started to get light again, they went about their business like nothing happened. This was truly a once in a lifetime event that I will probably not experience again.
(From Bottom to Top) Peas Emerging from the Soil, with Green Onion and Some Potatoes Starting to Poke Up Through the Soil in the Raised Bed. Picture Taken 4-20-24(Left to Right Clockwise) Cabbage and Broccoli Seedlings, Radish, Overwintered Lettuce, and Green Onions, Picture Taken 4-20-24Fall Planted Top Setting Onions and March Planted Onion Transplants are Growing Nicely. April Transplanted Lettuce Seedlings are Getting Bigger Growing Under the Protective Hoop, Picture Taken 4-20-24A Peak Inside the Hoop Showing the Spring Planted Lettuce Seedlings, Picture Taken 4-20-24Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024
Spring planting is really starting to to ramp up now. I planted 182 onion transplants out into the garden on March 12th (varieties Candy and Red Candy Apple). This was a little earlier than normal, but all transplants are doing well, despite some really cold mornings in the middle 20’s. I covered all of these onions with some row covers for a few of those cold mornings, and they made it through with no issues. I was able to side dress the onions with some good organic fertilizer a few days ago. I also seeded the Green Arrow peas out into the garden a few days ago. I ended up with many more onion seedlings than I had room for, so most of them were planted out in another spot in the garden as green onions. The overwintered top setting/walking onions are really starting to grow now, so it won’t be long before harvest begins on those for green onions (see pic below). The late winter/early spring weather here in Central Indiana has been drier than normal, which I prefer as it allows me to work in the garden without all of the mud. I hope to be able to transplant my lettuce seedlings out into the garden by mid to late next week (approximately April 4-5), making sure to cover them with a plastic covered hoop. My overwintered lettuce, at least the plants that survived the winter, are doing reasonably well under the plastic covered hoop. I also was able to plant some more top setting onions and 2 small rows of radishes in this same hoop. They have since starting to grow now (see pic below). New boards for the two 4’x4′ potato raised beds were installed about a week ago, which turned out better than I expected. I will be planting out my Red Norland seed potatoes out into these beds, as well as in grow bags, in another few days. I am trying a new potato variety this year called Superior. It is a fast maturing white potato, so it should mature about the same time as the Red Norlands. I have moved all of my broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, and brussels sprout seedlings out into the cold frame. I have also moved my tomato and some of my pepper seedlings out into the cold frame. I plan to move the rest of my seedlings from under the indoor grow lights and out into the cold frame over the next few days. Happy Early Spring Planting!
Overwintered Lettuce, Green Onions, and Radish Under Hoop, Picture Taken 3-28-24Overwintered Top Setting Onions (top of pic) and the Recently Planted Onion Transplants Growing Nicely, Picture Taken 3-28-24Some of the Seedlings in the Cold Frame, Picture Taken 3-28-24Juwel Cold Frame Out in the Garden, Picture Taken 3-28-24
The cold frame was put up about two weeks ago and both of the compost bins were emptied and the finished compost was spread onto the garden beds over the first two weeks of February. No plants are in the cold frame right now, but if the weather cooperates, I will try to get some lettuce starts out into the frame by the first of March. The weather has been fairly warm for this time of year, but we did receive about 5 inches of snow on February 16th. All of the snow has now melted away. Outdoor garden activity will start to increase starting in March, with onion transplants arriving by the middle of the month. Seed starting will begin in earnest by late February and into March. Looking forward to a very productive garden in 2004.
Most of the 2023 garden has finished producing for the year. I was able to cut the last harvestable lettuce leaves a few days ago. I am still harvesting carrots, but those should be finishing up in another two weeks or so. Low temperatures in the Indianapolis area reached the upper teens on November 28 and 29th, which effectively ended the 2023 growing season. Right up to that time I was harvesting the last of the brussels sprouts, cabbage and kohlrabi. Even though it is late December, I am still enjoying the cabbage and kohlrabi as they tend to keep for a long time in the refrigerator. I snapped a few pictures of some of the mid November harvest below. Overall, I was very pleased with the production of the 2023 garden and am looking forward to a hopefully very productive 2024 garden. This January, I will be going through all of my seed inventory and making my seed order for the 2024 gardening season. Here is wishing all of you a very happy and productive 2024.
Well, a hard freeze hit the garden on October 31st, with lows hitting 23 degrees. The cool season plants that I wanted to protect were covered with row covers and they survived, although I had my doubts. The brussels spouts were not covered (it is hard, if not impossible, to cover those, being that some of the plants are almost five foot tall). Despite not being covered the brussels sprouts did fine as they seem to tolerate cold very well. Before the freeze I was able to harvest some of the last peppers and tomatoes. I also harvested the first three of the six cauliflower heads on October 29th, they were huge! (see one of pics below). I still have two heads of cauliflower in the garden. The lettuce continues to grow very well, which was covered with a plastic covered hoop. I always let some of my Sierra lettuce plants self-seed in the fall, which have really taken hold in half of the lettuce plot. The carrots were also covered with a plastic covered hoop. I will be harvesting more of the carrots as we move through November and December. The harvest has pretty much finished up on the broccoli. The fall broccoli did really well this year. I did manage to harvest a few heads of cabbage and one head of kohlrabi over the last few weeks, with many more to come. I have some really giant heads of kohlrabi still in the garden. I will be harvesting those over the next month or so. I was able to plant seven small rows of topsetting onions (these were the ones that were saved from this years plants) out into the garden in the last week of October. I covered these with some dry leaves and then temporarily covered them with a row cover to keep the squirrels from digging them up until they grow some roots.
Since the hard freeze, the weather has turned warmer, but it is still very dry in the garden. I have been watering the carrots about every three days. The rest of the plants seem to be doing okay without additional watering. The 2023 gardening season is winding down, but if the weather stays warm enough, I should be harvesting up and into December.
Kohlrabi and Cabbage Harvested, Picture Taken 10-27-23Giant Heads of Cauliflower Harvested, Picture Taken 10-29-23Lettuce Plot, Notice the Smaller Self Seeded Plants on the Right, Picture Taken 11-3-23Carrots Still Growing and Looking Nice, Picture Taken 11-3-23Brussels Sprouts Ready for Harvesting, Picture Taken 11-7-23Chickens Feasting on the Remaining Broccoli Plants, Picture Taken 11-5-23
Garden activity has really picked up over the last several weeks now. The weather has really improved here in Central Indiana, with a 6-day stretch of warm and sunny days. It rained about a half inch yesterday, which was good as the soil was just starting to get a little dry in spots in the garden. With all of the warm and dry weather, the onions and the early April planted lettuce seedlings have really started to grow. Most of the rest of the overwintered lettuce has been harvested. Selected individual leaf harvest will probably start on the spring planted lettuce within the next week. The first harvest of the fall planted top setting onions was started yesterday, for green onions, with many more to come. Potatoes were planted out on April 13th and 15th. Some of these vines have just started to poke through the soil over the last day or so. Pea seeds were planted out into the garden on April 9th, and most have germinated within the past few days. I was able to pot up my tomato and pepper seedling into larger 4 inch pots on April 9th. For now, they will stay in the cold frame. They won’t be planted out into the garden until the second full week of May. The broccoli and kohlrabi seedlings will be planted out into the garden in about 4 days. Frost is expected tonight and tomorrow night, so I will keep my lettuce protected under the plastic hoop for at least a few more weeks, making sure to pull the plastic up on both ends in the mornings. Happy Spring Gardening!!
The Spring Garden with the Eastern Redbud Tree in Full Bloom, Picture Taken 4-18-23Early April Planted Lettuce Seedlings Growing Nicely Under the Plastic Covered Hoop, Picture Taken 4-18-23Onions Really Starting to Grow Now. Notice the Lettuce Under the Plastic Covered Hoop to the Left, Picture Taken 4-18-23
I was able to plant 30 lettuce transplants out into the garden yesterday, variety Sierra and Green Ice. About 6 or 7 Nevada lettuce seedlings will be planted out in about another week. I also planted out 5 seedlings of a new lettuce/green that I am trying for the first time this year. It is called Mizuna. The catalog described it as follows: “Classified as a mustard green or a Japanese green often used as part of a Mesclun mix. Very attractive, deeply cut and serrated, narrow leaves grow vigorously into large bunched heads that resist bolting and allow for extended picking. Mild, pleasant cabbagey flavor. It is supposed to hold up well in the heat and can be cut several times, so I am hoping to extend the lettuce growing season a little with this plant. It is also said to be cold tolerant, so I might try to replant this in the late summer for a fall/early winter harvest.
Mizuna is also described as follows (Source: https://tendingmygarden.com/mizuna-evergeen-elegant-and-delicious/): “The leaves are mild with a bit of pungency. Mizuna doesn’t have the bitterness and bite of arugula. It’s great mixed with other lettuces or used as a substitute for lettuce at times when lettuce is scarce. Sow this versatile green anytime from early spring through early autumn. It’s fast growing and the first leaves can be harvested in about 3 weeks. (Maturity takes 40 to 50 days depending on the variety.) Clumps get about 8 to 12 inches tall and can spread to a diameter of about 18 inches. You can harvest leaves at any stage. But if you want a big harvest at once, allow the plant to mature and cut it back just above the growing point to harvest all the leaves.”
The weather has turned warmer and somewhat drier. My onion transplants are definitely liking the weather as they are starting to green up quite a bit. The overwintered top setting onions are now about 4 inches tall. It is nice to finally see some green in the early April garden. I was also able to plant the rest of my really small onion transplants out into the garden yesterday, for green onions. If the weather stays favorable, I should be able to plant out Red Norland seed potatoes in the 2 raised beds and the fabric grow bags in about 5 days. Garden peas will also be directly sown into the garden in about a week.
Since it has warmed up, I was able to move my tomato and celery seedlings out into the cold frame a few days ago. If it stays somewhat warm, I will be moving the pepper seedlings out into the cold frame soon.
Lettuce Seedlings Planted (Left) and Top Setting Onions Greening Up Nicely (Top Right), Picture Taken 4-3-23Overwintered Sierra Lettuce is Almost Ready to Harvest, Picture Taken 4-3-23
Wow, the weather has been awful here in Central Indiana over the past month!! I did manage to get my onion transplants out into the garden on March 22nd (about 200 onion plants, Yellow Candy and Red Candy), right before the flooding rains hit (see pic of my onion plot below). It seems like we get one or two somewhat warm and dry days, then it rains for two to three days and then gets cold. The garden is so muddy right now, that you cannot plant anything in it until it dries out a little. I did cover part of the garden with a plastic covered hoop to keep that area drier for my lettuce seedlings, which should be able to be planted out into the garden in a few days, making sure to keep them protected until the weather gets better. I moved all of my cool season seedlings out into the cold frame. I still have my tomato and pepper seedlings inside under grow lights. Some of the seeds have not sprouted as of yet, but should over the next week or so. My fall planted top setting onions are starting to push on new green growth. It is always good to see any kind of green in the garden this time of year. I still have many leftover small onion transplants that need to get in the garden. I like growing these for green onions. If the weather stays somewhat dry, I am hopeful to be able to get my peas and seed potatoes planted out within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Happy early spring gardening!!
