Welcome back to the garden friends. What are you harvesting? This growing season has been filled with challenges, lessons, and a ton of produce.
Just when I think I can't wait any longer to harvest, I end up getting a bounty of vegetables and herbs! I have picked beans nearly every day of the month. Harvesting this often creates a cycle of more beans growing. The more I pick, the more the plants produce so they can set seed for future plants.
In previous seasons, I've harvested cucumbers in early July. This year took a little longer, the first harvest was about 3/4 of the way through the month. Once I started picking though, I have been able to harvest at least once a week. Cucumbers are not as prolific as the beans, but they need to be checked on every day. In the picture below, I found this monster (pickling) cucumber that I'm pretty sure was not on the vine two days ago, and if it was it was pretty small. This cucumber measured 6-1/2 inches in length and weighed 14 ounces. In comparison, I usually harvest these cucumbers around 4 inches in length (less seed production and they fit better in canning jars). You can see in the side by side photo how it looks compared to other cucumbers.
I have also had some cucumbers go missing - not that they were stolen, but they were so well camouflaged that I couldn't see them until they got too big to eat. Once cucumbers get past a certain point, they get bitter. One lost cucumber is pictured below.
This cucumber is not the worst one though. Here is one that was on top of the trellis that I couldn't see because of the beans. Once I found it I knew it was too far gone.
Another challenge I faced since I had to extend the growing zone for the cucumbers, was having fruit get stuck. I had one that ended up stuck in the cattle panel. I tried making it hang down so it would be easier to pick, but it ended up not hanging down far enough to grow without obstruction. I ended up having to manipulate the cattle panel to get it out without breaking the cucumber.
This season has been filled with lessons and the beans have taught me the most. What I have learned from the pole beans is to not grow them in an enclosed space the way this bed is set up. Harvesting the beans has been quite difficult since I can't reach on top of the cattle panel without a ladder. The foliage is so dense that I have had a hard time seeing the beans and then when I do find them, some are so big they are starting to form the seed pod inside the bean. Pictured below is the top of the bean and cucumber bed taken from a few steps up a ladder.
What does one do when the harvest is so bountiful? For the beans, I have eaten some fresh but, most of them have been blanched and frozen so the harvest can be enjoyed once the growing season is over. Even with canning cucumbers as pickles and relish, I have had a hard time keeping up. Since I sell a majority of the pickle products I make, there has been a common question between my customers and me - team dill or team sweet? Which do you prefer?
The abundant harvest in August has been amazing, but it also means I'll be shifting my focus in the garden. Soon, I'll be turning my attention to prepping beds and planting a few things for fall and beyond (garlic anyone?) If you would like me to share a recipe for pickles, drop a comment and I'll create a page for recipes.
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