Sunday, June 19, 2011

Weekend round-up: Gift planting, Lettuce Gleaning, Winter storage (and worm picking)

Rain 
It was another good weekend, including the weekend's weather. Saturday brought rain, a pretty good soaking. It was long enough that things perked up from their slumped over stature. The strawberry bed, very much loaded, was looking a little under the weather on Friday. I gave it fifteen gallons of water. It responded pretty well, but Friday and Saturday's drizzle seemed to top it off. I best not neglect it, else we'll get a hoard of undersized berries in a couple weeks.


Gifts 
I finally found a permanent home for the pretty chives gifted to us. Their flowers are beautiful. There are some green onions going to seed in the foreground. Soon the remaining leeks will put their flowers on display. 


Chives, settling in.






Gleaning
Shari picked a pile of lettuce yesterday, washed it up and dropped part of it at one of the local soup kitchens and the other part at a women's shelter. I really like the idea of taking veggies to the kitchen, more so than where we've taken it in the past. The kitchen advertises that it likes large quantities of fresh vegetables. They seem well equipped to process and make use of it. They also have an endless need, which is unfortunate. 
Most of this and more were donated.




Kale
The cabbage worms are out in force. It is time put some kale up. Shari picked the remainder of what over wintered, washed it, poured over it for cabbage worms, and is now ready to blanch and freeze it for later. Doing some reading this evening, it is no wonder that the worms are so plentiful. May and June seem to be their busy months.We haven't had problems in the past because, I suspect, we've been outside their primary window of activity. I think that will need to be our plan of attack next year: grow a bunch for this fall and winter, fewer for the spring (less to inspect).




The remainders of the over-wintered Lacinato.
A cabbage worm, having fed
enough, makes a try for white butterfly
status (the odds are against it now).

2 comments:

  1. Cool cabbage worm chrysalis! I've never seen one, but will be on the lookout from now on.

    Beautiful lettuce! So great that you are sharing it with those in need.

    Kale is amazing- I can't believe I had never knowingly eaten it before I became a veggie gardener- now it's a staple. Looks like it's a staple in your house too.

    Happy Solstice tomorrow! Hooray for Summer!

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  2. Come on down, we have eggs, chrysalis, worms - the works! Shari found another chrysalis tonight. It and its leaf are safely in Luke's bug barn. We'll see if it hatches. I suspect that Luke will make us release it into the wild.

    I'm curious about your tomatoes. How many did you put in the ground? Are you planning on canning for the winter (I suspect you are)?

    It is a great year for lettuce, and peas.

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