2011 Harvest Report

Some of you may think that this post is late in coming but I just picked my last bell peppers and tomatoes two weeks ago. I did have to move them into the garage with a grow light in order for them to ripen since it had started getting cold here, but the patience paid off because they are delicious. Peppers are one of my favourite vegetables.

For you new readers who haven’t been updated before, here is a little background. Last year, after moving into our house, my husband and I planted our first container vegetable garden. We grew everything in containers and I must admit it worked out great. I could move the plants into shade if the weather was too hot and they would drain better if we got heavy rains. I am definitely hooked on this garden method.

This year we tried our luck again and we got even better results. With such a dry hot summer, our plants were producing like crazy. As always, I would check how my veggies were doing every day: if they got bigger, if they started to send out fruit. It honestly was the highlight of my day. That satisfaction has continued into the kitchen when I can say that dinner is from the backyard. Boy does food taste better when you know where it comes from and you make it yourself. Our freezer is stocked so we can slowly enjoy our bounty through the winter.

Here is what we were able to grow and harvest this year. I must say, I was amazed at the numbers:

Cucumbers                                                          

                                                        38

Blue Hubbard Squash                                        

7

Delicatta Squash                                                  

14

Buttercup Squash                                                

1

Beefsteak Tomatoes                                          

88

Early Tomatoes                                                  

238

Roma Tomatoes                                                

195

Blue Chili Peppers                                          

285

Red Chili Peppers                                            

122

Super Heavyweight Bell Peppers                  

6

Satsuma Bell Peppers                                        

16

California Wonder Peppers                              

13

Yellow Zuchinni                                                  

13

Green Zuchinni                                                      

3

Eggplant                                                                  

                                                        65


We also grew numerous herbs such as basil, rosemary, oregano, green onions, etc. but I didn’t record those numbers. Next year we may add some new plants to the mix and we will hope for the same return. I have some different kinds of tomatoes I want to try. Between our garden and our CSA we are stocked…not to mention all the berries we have from going picking. If you came to our house for dinner you would be guaranteed to taste some fresh, organic, produce in your meal.

For those of you who are interested in starting out in container gardening, here are few articles to get you started:

Getting Started in Container Gardening

Container Garden Tips and Tricks

Max Out Your Veggies

Advantages of Organic Gardening

So, how were your gardens? If you don’t have one, have I convinced you to start one next year?


Comments

2011 Harvest Report — 27 Comments

    • Glad to hear you have started. Herbs are one of the best things to start with because they are easy to grow. Plus they can grow indoors well. Once you get the hang of these, spread your horizons. You can definitely try a few new things in the spring. Let me know when you start and I can share some tips.

  1. I don’t have a garden, and I wish I could grow one! Living in a condo is tough enough, but when you don’t get enough light through to the balcony it’s nearly impossible. Seeing that I cook almost every night of the week, it would be great to be able to walk a few feet and grab some fresh herbs rather than use those dried out canisters from the supermarket (the fresh ones don’t seem to last very long either).

    • Thanks. You should start one for sure. Use containers. This is what I do and it works awesome. You have to water a bit more but your plants are much more protected allowing a better yield. When you go to get organized next year, give me a shout and I can help get you started.

  2. What a harvest! No garden here, but am amazed what talented gardeners can do. With such a huge haul, do you also sell some at your local market? Do you plan to do anything different to your garden next year?

  3. That’s amazing!! How many containers did you have?

    over 200+ tomatoes- that’s amazing.

    I was only able to get 2 egg plants and then was only able to eat one because the other one was eaten away by some raccoon lol.

    • I probably have 20-30 containers. I am not sure of the exact number. We are happy with how well we have done the last two years. I am beginning to swear by container gardening.

      Do you have a fence? If not you should put one up. It will keep the raccoon out. Or, put wire mesh around the plant. That usually works too.

  4. Fantastic harvest, Miss T! Blue hubbard squash is one I’ve thought about planting. What recipes did you use it in?

    Nothing like home-grown produce in the kitchen. I dearly miss our basil and peppers. We’re making do with red and green kale, and swiss chard. I suppose we could have more if I got busy with the hoop house.

    • I find you can use blue hubbard squash just like any other winter squash. In many recipes I find they are interchangeable. All I can say is that they are huge. We actually have to buy a cleaver to process them. They are literally the size of a small child. Crazy!

      I love Kale. It is really good as kale chips. You should try making them if you haven’t.

      It sounds like you still did a good job this summer in your garden. Don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes the weather you get dictates how successful you are. Just do the best you can.

  5. I have had a garden for years and love to grow veggies. Every year I add something new to grow and I stock up on recipes for the new ingredient; it doesn’t have to be anything big, last year I added variegated chard (kids love the colour) and used it in salads and stir fries. Best bet is that it will come up again this year!

  6. Hey would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough
    time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most
    blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

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