This is the first time I’ve grown sweet corn and the ears have started growing at the top …very exciting!
Parts of my broccoli have gone to seed but it is still growing little edible heads so I haven’t pulled it out yet. I also like the look of the majestic plants so I’ll be sad when they have to go. It gets lots of water from my watering spikes connected to the bucket but also has while fly on it. Can you give broccoli too much water? Perhaps if I had given it less, I would have more heads and less leaves. Does that happen? Last year, I got a new broccoli plant from one that I didn’t pull out properly the year before. When these plants finish producing, I’m going to just cut them off at the base and see if they come back next year!
Does anyone know what these 2 types of seedlings are that I planted? I remember scattering the seeds but can’t remember what I put there! I think one might have been parsnip. Would that be right? (I’ve never grown it before!)
Butternut pumpkin, dwarf beans, carrot, basil, lettuce and broccoli seedlings are all doing well along the side driveway. I’m hoping to train the pumpkin up the fence)
The Chicory Raddichio is also doing very well but I can’t find a way to prepare it that makes it nice to eat. Whatever I do it seems really bitter. – Any suggestions?
My passionfruit and self sown tomatoes are also fruiting well. Yippee!! 
Posts
10 comments:
When we grew radicchio last year the leaves that grew in the summer were bitter, but when you leave them into autumn and winter the red curled up hearts appear and these are less bitter. So it's just a matter of waiting! Unfortunately this years seedlings got washed away by hail, so I shall miss it this winter!
We made potato and chicory soup and it was not bitter. I can not remember but maybe we blanched it and threw out the liquid or maybe it just lost its bitterness once it was cooked and pureed with the potatoes.
Your garden looks good it was lovely to see you and all your family on WED.
Now I am no gardener but my guess for the photo on the right would be eggplant and small red stemmed celery.
OK that should get some response from others and maybe correct identification for you!
I was thinking eggplant.
I'd say the one on the left is parsnips like you said and the one on the right could be eggplant but in a week or so it will be easier to identify.
It all looks lovely Chook!
I find those bitter greens lose their bitterness if you cook them in plenty of water and I usually mix it half and half or so with something else like spinach or silver beet etc. BUT the bitterness is meant to be VERY good for you..... ask any Italian.
Thanks everyone! I had some eggplant seeds so it is very likely that you're correct. I'll try some more chicory tonight in plenty of water. If it's still too bitter, I'll wait until the end of summer and try again.
Looks wonderful! (envy oozing from the cold, white north...)
On the sweet corn, those are the tassels you see up top. The ears will appear in a couple of weeks in the leaf nodes. If your corn is not planted at least 4 rows x 4 rows square, you'll want to break off a tassel or two and dust the pollen onto the silks. Each silk leads to a kernel. If a kernel is not pollinated it will not develop. Good luck, and enjoy the corn!
Thanks Maya I grew some corn a few seasons ago and could have used that advice as the plants looked good but we did not get corn.
KGI is a great forum to to ask questions about any plant we are growing. I read your comment there Maya about the icy weather you are experiencing. I would like more southern hemisphere gardeners to sign up. It is great fun discussing gardening with folks we would otherwise have no chance of meeting.
Thanks Maya, I had heard that you needed at least 4 rows and initially planted 4 rows but only one and a half grew. The other rows were in the shade of my broad beans and didn't germinate. When I pulled the beans out, I re-planted the rest of the rows but they won't have silks for a while yet. Also, I accidentally used a different type of sweet corn when I re-planted so I'll do some manual pollinating as you suggested. I'm grateful you noticed!
Post a Comment