ACL Letter #8 - Garden Update 10/27/22
Garden Update 10/27/22
The garden continues to impress. So far everything is really progressing nicely. After being covered up for a week while our family was out of town, I came back to excellent growth and color. The frost and multiple nights below freezing didn't harm the garden one bit.
The picture above is our first harvest from the fall garden. The big leaf on top is from a mustard plant that has survived in the garden since being planted last year. Underneath it are collards and kale. There is no filter on that picture. The hues of green, blue, and red are all natural. And beautiful to me.
I mentioned in my last letter that I had to remove the peas and the trellis. I'm sad about that. I'm going to try peas again in early spring. Fresh sugar snap peas from the garden are real treats.
My goal is to plant garlic and onions either this evening or tomorrow sometime. My planting window is running out. I will do my best to document and pass along the pictures here. Has anyone else planted garlic?
After being away for a week, I came home to a garden still covered and wondering how it did!
When I uncovered it I was pleasantly surprised to see how well everything looked!
Kale at the bottom and Cabbage on top. Both are coming along nicely!
Here is a shot of our salad greens. On the left we have a mesclun mix. In the middle we have our arugula. On the right, coming in slowly, is a mix from Johnny's Seeds called "Elegance" It is another lettuce blend. Brussel sprouts are in the back right.
We have an intruder!
The Cabbage White butterfly
The pretty critter in the two pictures above is the Cabbage White butterfly. She comes along and lays her eggs on brassicas like kale, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and broccoli. When those eggs hatch, out comes a hungry caterpillar. If left unchecked, they will decimate a plant before too long. I keep them under control by handpicking the caterpillars off the plants. This is usually a daily task in the fall, but so far this year, I have only seen this one Cabbage White.
Podcast on raising nutrient dense vegetables dropped today!
I went full nerd in this podcast. I talk about how important it is to promote healthy soils by promoting a strong environment for microbial life in your soil. I explain why its important as well. I talk about chemical fertilizers, how they are different, and how they affect your plants and in turn your health. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!