Thursday, April 12, 2012

I quit

Things are heating up, ironically, since it's raining and cold again. The tomatoes, however, are outside getting wet and blown about. I'm transplanting this weekend unless we experience apocalyptic floods or earthquakes or insistent Frisbee or something. It's time.

And things in the basement are doing well. In the absence of the large, hairy tomatoes (I imagine them seeming like older brothers to the rest), there are more timid, more heat-loving plants:
The older peppers. Planted maybe in February? They're bedeviled by some pesky reddish aphids which seem to reproduce exponentially every 12 hours. If I could find the Ur-Mother, I might be able to be rid of them. Daily squishing, twice daily ideally, seems to help. I may make some insecticidal soap stuff and spray it. If I could only find a whole sprayer. How many spray bottles have romped through this house? Sigh.
Younger peppers, more varieties. I had concentrated on Padrons, having tunnel-vision. Then I remembered how much I loved having ripe bell peppers in the garden, and how much I loved pulling out frozen pepper strips for recipes. And Eric, in one of those, "Hey, let's keep this marriage fresh" moments, let slip that he really liked pickled hot peppers. Color me surprised! I did not know this. Now I am determined to procure, grow, and preserve some hot peppers. Whee!!
Speaking of preserving, there are about five or six varieties of cucumbers also coming along. Three or four pickling varieties, mostly cornichons, for the oldest child. (Who will no doubt again tell me that I misheard and she doesn't like them, but was only going through a stage.) A couple slicers, only one Lemon -- I can, apparently, learn.

And outside, well, outside some things are done with their run.
This is the last of the purple cauliflower, from a commercially raised transplant, and a variety of lettuce leaves nipped off of the outside of the spectacularly happy lettuce out there. Cool, rainy, no slugs, check! I'm already thinking of what kind of salad this will make.


But what I'm NOT thinking about is weighing, writing down, or recording this harvest in any way. I still remain in awe of the bloggers/gardeners who do, and I think it's probably a good idea, but I haven't been able to do it in any useful way. Maybe some day my head will be screwed on in that direction, and I'll probably say happy things like, "I canned 48 bazillion quarts of tomatoes!" if that happens, but until then, I think I better concentrate on a) growing the food and b) eating the food while c) making certain there is more food ready to be planted.


So consider this my notice, I guess. I quit. 


Sort of.

10 comments:

Annie*s Granny said...

Ha! I don't believe you. You are so NOT a quitter! Hey, you have a harvest this week, which is more than I can say. I do have a lovely little lettuce out front, in with the pansies. I may have to harvest it for a meal, as I'm feeling so very left out ;-)

Stefaneener said...

Yeah, I'll show you! I quit keeping track. But I will happily show my harvests, as long as I don't have to keep a running total.

I also know what you've been up to and you are going to have pounds and pounds and pounds of neatly trimmed, fastidiously weighed harvests, current tiny lettuces notwithstanding.

Annie*s Granny said...

Well, maybe if I get a new kitchen scale. It's on my wish list, but I can't make up my mind which one I want....all being overpriced, of course. I do know I want it to be digital and to weigh more than the 4 pounds my current old scale weighs. I do plan on harvesting and weighing pounds and pounds of butternut squash, and if all goes right, a few pounds of corn and potatoes! I have a reputation to live up to, ya know ;-)

Michelle said...

You have my permission to quit! Do it. Or, rather, don't do it. I have to admit that I've not been keeping track of the piddly little harvests that have been coming out of my garden as the beds wind down to get rebuilt. It just doesn't seem worth it. It's not like I can make any valuable comparison to what I harvested in the past or to harvests in the future, which is one reason I keep track of the harvests. It's a bit liberating to just go out and pick what I can find that is worth harvesting and just eat it.

Everyday-Vegetables said...

I have not tried transplanting cucumbers. I just put them straight in the garden at the end of May. they grow so fast. Dose it give them a head start?

Daphne Gould said...

Shhh don't tell anyone. I occasionally think of quitting too. But I'm so well trained now I think I'd do it by rote.

kitsapFG said...

Weighed or not - that is a great harvest! :D

You are going to be swimming in peppers but there are so many intersting varieties to grow - it can be abit like the tomato problem - so many plants to grow so little room and time!

el said...

If it's at all meaningful, I have never ever weighed a harvest much less posted about it. The exception has been 2 big tomatoes!

I do admire others' diligence in doing so, but for me it would be madness...that, and over the years I have just grown/made stuff on scale that would probably never be duplicated in the average family garden. I'd rather encourage people than discourage them! Saying that I harvested POUNDS of salad in a week wouldn't be helpful to the person looking at their 12 plants.

So quit away. We know you're on your game.

Erin said...

That cauliflower is so pretty, I keep meaning to try that one! I think your spray bottles have joined forces with mine, run away and are now living a life of luxury spraying tropical foliage somewhere in the South Pacific...!

Stefaneener said...

AG, you do have a reputation to uphold. Mine appears to be centered around non-recordkeeping : )

Michelle, thanks. I know there is valuable information. I'm just not that detail-oriented right now. I am keeping good visual records of planting places; that's about all I can manage.

EverydayVegetables, well, it's cold here, so I figured I'd like to give them a warmer start than if I waited. But what do I know? I could be wrong. I get impatient, and seeding indoors seems reasonable. The summer squash I don't need to but their bed is currently occupied.

Daphne, I need some organizational autopilot.

kitsapFG, once I had a good harvest, I was hooked! I love sweet peppers, and he likes 'em hot. We're set.

el, I think you're on to something. Besides, I blog more happily if I don't feel like it's One More Thing I'm not good at, you know?

Erin, I have a few other household items that are probably on permanent vacation! Cracked me up.