debw says:

August 10th, 2005 at 12:10 pm

Don’t panic quite yet. Since you didn’t plant the carrots in April or March when the farmers that grow stuff for a living do you are still on track. Thin the places that look like they don’t have elbow room, eat the little ones(they are the best eating in my humble opinion) and keep watching the others. They will get bigger with space, time, and water.
I usually plug in some leaf lettuce, kohlrabi, and peas about now for a sweet second crop that won’t get too hot and bolt before frost.

Greengirl says:
Question: What does one do with kohlrabi? Didja know they are the same species as brussel sprouts? (Yeah, I’m kinda geeking out with all this food history. Thanks for the tips!)

Ben says:

August 11th, 2005 at 11:41 am

Years ago, the teeny carrots in my raised beds never matured, despite careful weeding, feeding and thinning (but they were delicious). Same problem with the pumpkins in the neighboring bed. They grew to the size of plums and had to be carved with an Xacto knife. Cute … but a little sad. Only tomatoes seem to thrive in my back yard. Maybe it’s the soil, or maybe the rabbits.

Solution: I now grow only tomatoes. In late May, I buy the biggest plants possible at Cal’s Market — ideally with fruit already on the vine — drop ‘em in the ground and hammer ‘em with Miracle-Gro. Mmmm-MMM!

debw says:

August 11th, 2005 at 11:55 am

Be bave greengirl! Check those packets and anything that is 45 days or less should give a crop before the cold stuff sets in. I like radish sandwiches so kohlrabi, radishes, leaf lettuce, peas all appear in the voids left by the ones that came before.
Scallions(green onions that won’t have time to get big)are also fall additions along with flowers that aren’t really for edibles but could be (pansies and what ever else is hanging out on sale at the local greenhouse).
If you strike out and don’t get a crop then you can try again next time or do battle with the frost covers til you do.

EaganGirl says:

August 11th, 2005 at 5:06 pm

Where would you go to buy some fall veg seeds? It seems that all stores are not carrying them now, except at the Gerten’s where they are on clearance for 25c per packet. But I am particularly looking for some chinese baby Bok Choi seeds (will become wonderfully sweet after frost)? Thanks!

mary ann says:

August 12th, 2005 at 12:26 pm

Hi Greengirl: Good for you! I admire your courage planting carrots-never had much luck with them. So far, I just buy them from Hilltop Gardens at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market (all local farmers there-no dealers) who know how to grow them. I have 3 intensely-planted, well-fed vegetable gardens in my St. Paul back yard, probably about 300 square feet total, is all. It’s taken a few years to turn clay and gravel into nice soil, but it’s happening.

This year, I actually managed to plant some late-season veggies. I’ve intended to try this for years. Looking at harvest dates on seed packets, and hoping the season will last until mid-October (okay, so that’s a gamble), I figured if the packets say read in 45-60 days, I might have a shot a pretty good yield. So, at the end of July, I planted 3 kinds of peas, swiss chard, kale, 3 kinds of sprouting broccoli, some more yellow and filet beans, and some pot-bound brussels sprouts I found at a close-out nursery sale. They are all some-what cold-hardy.

All the seeds are up now, so I’ll be out there every day, cheering on! This week, I’ll put in some radishes (28 days) and bok choy (42 days) and some lettuce.

Good luck with your harvest!

My earlier plantings seem a little off this year. Heirloom tomatoes were undoubtedly set back by early torrential rains, then by lack of rain. Now, I have a whole bunch of melons and squash that are just forming. Pole beans and summer squash vines are almost up to the top of my garage. Also, the potatoes look really nice, compared to a friend’s. I may still have a good harvest; we’ll see.

Greengirl says:
Wow! You’ve been busy this summer, Mary Ann. Potatoes, too? Looks like I better get planting if I plan to eat a kale salad from my garden this fall.

PapaDad says:

August 14th, 2005 at 11:37 pm

I am trying swiss chard, radishes and beets for cool weather/late season crops this year. The problem is that I don’t know what to do with the beets and radishes. I don’t like radishes all that much (my Mom used to put them in salads when I was a kid), and I have never really eaten beets. I got the beets that say you can eat the root and the greens. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do with my radishes and beets?
I may plug some kale and snap peas in the ground after reading the comments above.
My two year old is loving my cherry tomatoes, which are so sweet and luscious….
…and about the carrots…I plant them every year. Just give them time, crowded or not crowded, they will mature no matter what. I also disagree with the person that says the smaller carrots taste better. There is nothing more satisfying than pulling a big ol’ batch of fat carrots out of the ground, washing and then chewing on their chubby roots…mmmmnnnn!

Greengirl says:
Hey PapaDad, I too was confused by beets. After I took a Veggie Superstars cooking class at The Wedge, I learned to look beyond the beet’s bad reputation. Now I’m total beet convert. Enduring my beet enthusiasm for the past year and a half, even Brian has learned to appreciate the beet.

Good luck!

Christie Ankarlo says:

August 24th, 2005 at 12:58 pm

Hey PapDad and Green Girl

I hated beets all my life until I had oven roasted beets the first time. Next time you stop at the Wedge, try some of their yellow beets oven roasted with some olive oil. Also beets are terrific for your gallbladder and liver.