Saturday, February 28, 2009

What is growing in my Kitchen Garden

I used to not have anything in my Kitchen Garden over the Winter but with the years I figured out an easy way to always have at least some Greens and Lettuce for fresh eating at a time in late Winter when most people haven't even started planting their Spring Garden yet.
My Winter Garden Secret? Just let the late Summer/Fall plants bolt and the seeds fall to the ground. For me it sometimes is just more reliable then planting them at a specific time. The seeds know when it is the right time to sprout.
Naturally you don't want to do this with Hybrid Seeds. Hybrid Seeds are seeds produced by artificially cross pollinating different plant varieties to produce a new variety with specific characteristics. So when you plant their seed, they do not reliably produce true copies of the new varieties. You don't know what comes out of them.
To get true copies of the plant you have, you need Heirloom Seeds or Open Pollinated Seed.
Because most of my vegetable plants are now Heirlooms or Open pollinated seeds, I now collect seeds of many vegetables I plant. Some I don't even bother to seed out, I just let some seeds fall to the ground and let them do their own work of seeding out. It works well for me. In late fall or Spring I just dig up as many plants I want and move them to the new prepared beds.
Sometimes some plants, especially Arugula will seed way more out then I can move. I just let it grow where it is, even if it is in the walk ways and just harvest as much as I can before it bolts again. Arugula is a welcome Greens in my late Winter Garden, when there is not much else to harvest. It seems to be real hardy and grows well through the winter.

So this is what I have planted so far and what can be found in my Kitchen Garden Spring 2009 Garden Season.

Peas: They have not sprouted yet - planted mid February '09
Shelling Peas
'Kleine Rheinländerin', from Gourmet Seed International
'Eclipse' >> Johnny's Selected Seeds
'Dakota' >> Johnny's Selected Seeds
Snow Peas:
'Snow Wind' >> Johnny's Selected Seeds
'Norli' >> Shepherd's Garden Seed

Italian Arugula >> from Gourmet Seed International
This comes up real early in the season, because I just let some seed out in Fall,
I am already harvesting and eating Arugula

Machè/Cornsalad/Feldsalat >>Old Unknown German Variety
I also let this seed out late Summer, I am never without in late Winter, already harvesting

Spinach: has not sprouted yet - seeded out mid February '09
'Bloomsdale' >> Gourmet Seed International
'Oriental Giant' >> Renee's Garden Seed

Kale:
Russian Kale >> Seeds of Change
planted last Fall '08 - overwintered

Broccoli:
'Red Arrow' >> locally bought - Mr. Fothergills Seeds/UK
'White Sprouting' >> Gourmet Seeds International - Mr. Fothergills Seeds/UK
'Zamboni' >> Territorial Seed Company/local company in Cottage Grove, OR
all planted Summer '08, overwintered and are starting to grow heads

Cauliflower:
'Gigante Di Napoli Marzatico' >>Gourmet Seed International
planted in late Summer and overwintered, it is growing nicely while some of my other Cauliflower, which was a different cultivar all froze this year.

Cabbage:
'Red Cabeza'
seeded in late summer '08 >> Gourmet Seed International
and 'Super Red 80 F1' two small Red Cabbages, which I harvested, but then left the root in, so it regrew two small heads. >> Johnny's Selected Seeds
'Cour Di Bue' - these ones did take a beating in this cold winter, but now seem to make some heads >> Gourmet Seed International

Endive:
'di Ruffec'
and 'Bubikopf' >> Italian Seed & Tool Co
I have been letting it seed out in late Summer '08 and will be eating Endive soon

Raddichio:
'Palla Rossa 3' also from letting it seed outside. So far I only found 2 of those so I probably will seed some more out >> Gourmet Seed International

Lettuce: I have a variety of Lettuces, which I let seed out last fall. So far I see I have growing
Butterhead Lettuce 'Sandrina' >> Seeds of Change,
Leaf Lettuce 'Verde Riccciolina', Butter Head Lettuce 'Santa Anna',
Red Butter Head Lettuce 'German Brown', Crisp Head Lettuce 'Ice Queen',
Head Lettuce 'Trotzkopf' >> Italian Seed & Tool Co
Romaine type 'Cimmaron' >> locally bought 'Botanical Interest' Seed
Crisphead Lettuce >>locally bought 'Botanical Interest' Seed
Loose Leaf Head lettuce 'Red Prize'>> was a free Seedpack, 'Ferry Morse Seed' it is very similar to 'Four Seasons'
Leaf Lettuce: 'Dark Red Oak Leaf'-white Seed' >>my own Garden Seed I had for a long time
and a lighter colored variety 'Light Red Oak Leaf-white Seed' my own Garden seed
Red Loose leaf Head lettuce 'Four Seasons' >> Seeds of Change
'Green Romaine-white Seed' >> my own Garden seed, don't remember Cultivar
Butterhead Lettuce: 'Green Leaved-white Seed' >>my own Garden seed
Butterhead Lettuce: 'Green Leaved-black Seed' >>my own Garden seed

Parsley: I have different varieties
'Curly Parsley', 'Italian Flat Leaf', 'Giant Flat Leaf'

>> Originally from Territorial Seed Co
I let them seed out last fall and then moved the young plants to where I wanted them

Garlic: planted Early November '08
Elephant Garlic, Softneck 'French Tarne' , 'Siciliano' and 'Transylvanian'.
Hardneck 'Georgian Crystal', 'German Porcelain' and 'Purple Glazer'
>> The Garlic Store

Onions:
Shallots 'Dutch Yellow' and 'German Red'

>> Big John's Garden/Klamath Falls, OR
Italian Red Onion-long day type 'Cipolla Rossa Piatta D'italia'
>> Italian Seed & Tool Co
I planted those late Summer '08 and let them overwinter

Leek:
'Primor'
- Baby Leek size >> Renee's Garden Seeds
and 'Sherwood Leek' a large type Leek >> Seeds of Change
from harvested Seed and planted late Summer '08 letting it overwinter

Celeriac:
Variety 'Brilliant'
, from harvested Seed from '08 >> Territorial Seed Co
seeded in late Summer and overwintered

I also seeded out a variety of Carrots Summer '08, but the freezing and thawing this winter pushed them out of the ground, so there will be no Carrots early this Spring.

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