I'm not sure about the rest of you who are getting ready for this year's growing season, but we've yet to begin. With us headed to Florida, later this year than ever before, we've put most things on hold. We'll be leaving for warmer weather and sunshine later in February and returning the 1st week of April.
Even though snow is still on the ground and temperatures most often remain well below freezing, we have continued to be busy over the past several months. Taking care of the mushroom logs, freezing collard greens, and processing loads of potatoes reminds us of all that will be necessary when we return from vacation.
I did mention that there was still lots of snow and look how it has pilled up at the back of our home. Can that be a snow drift, no. Can that be a pile of snow that I shoveled, no. Maybe there is something hiding under that pile, yes!
Last March I decided to give growing mushrooms a go. @plantstoplanks turned me onto this endeavor. I wonder how she is making out with her first go at this?
In late December with Old Man Winter in full swing, the instructions for growing Shitake Mushrooms was to insulate the inoculated logs from a deep freeze. After watching a video on how to deal with the numbing temperatures of winter I insulated the inoculated logs with leaves, and hay and then covered the pile with a tarp. As the snow continued to pile up on the ground the snow also acted as an insulator. We'll be able to see how it all worked come this spring!
This past year we planted collard green seeds for the first time. What a remarkable, cold-resistant veggie this is. We were able to pick these delicious greens even after the first frost and even after several snowfalls. From what I have learned about collard greens, they are as nutritious as spinach. We harvested so many greens we were able to deep freeze over 60 packages of this hardy veggie. With as well as we did with them they will be a veggie that we will grow every year.
Many of the leaves were three times the size of my hand.
Last year's potato harvest was the best.
@farm-mom took the lead when it came to preparing the spuds for storage. We now got mashed, smashed, fries, grated, and whole potatoes ready to go. I think that we've got so many that we will be able to chow down on them until we harvest again next year.
Good luck to all those wonderful GREEN THUMB, DIRTY FINGERNAIED, ORGANIC GARDNERS WHO GROW THEIR OWN.
Where on earth have you been?!
You've been busy, as always, I see. You've almost got me wanting to grow collards. My problem of good greens in the winter would be solved. I'm putting it on the seed list.
Do you take food with you to Florida?
Great post. Nice to see you again.
It has been a while since I've posted, busy a bunch, headed back to NJ very often, and not much that I had to share with others, We've grown spinach before but the harvest is poor. Collard green plants are prolific and grow from early spring into the early winter. With them being as nutritious as spinach we'll never plant spinach again.
We take very little of anything to Florida with us and look forward to cooking it up again when we get home.
Nice to hear from you again.
Hellllo, it feels like aggges since I've spoken to you guys. It's soooo super cool you are doing mushroom logs - that's amazing and I can't wait to see if you've grown them! Eek! You know I've never grown collards as it's not something we grow here, though we could, and I saw some in the seed catalogue and thought I'd try them. I can't recall if I ordered them - will have to have a look when the mail comes but I guess we get heaps of greens from other plants anyway. Love, @riverflows.
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With this being the first time we tried growing mushrooms I'm excited to see how they come out. If successful I'll try to grow a few other kinds in the future. In my book, these greens are a real winner. I'm done trying to grow spinach because we always get very little. Good to be back in touch and posting once again.
Have you tried chard? Or silverbeet as we call it in Australia?
What a great harvest you had. Another opportunity for green thumb planting farmers for this year. Hoping this would be great too! Greetings.
Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies. Retiring a while ago gives me plenty of free time to do so much of what I love to do.
Greetings to you and thanks for stopping by.
Wow, that's great. I wish to have more time to plant as well.
No mention of beets....sigh.... I grew collards 2 years ago for my friend Tom.
They got really huge but had serious bug issues. I think they are a pretty heavy feeder and didn't get enough foliar feeding.
I love that the plants produce so much. Bugs are always an ongoing battle but the effort usually pays off. I read that you are getting set up to start your seeds. You always do such a super job with that and do so much.
Good luck with your gardening this year.
Someone mentioned mushroom, now this is a first reveal on how to do it in the North, look forward to hearing the results.
Spuds and greens for some time to come, now holiday time, go have fun!
Work will be waiting when you return, at least the pantry is full till the next round.
!BEER Safe travel wishes to you and the good missus.
It took a lot of hobbitizing to inoculate the maple logs.
If I recall, I drilled over 12 hundred moles, stuffed them, and sealed them with wax.
I hope it works so that I can give some away. Of course, that's after I get mine. 😁
The vacation is well-needed. It has been an extremely cold and snowy winter.
Safe it will be, you just have to watch out for the shit-heads on the road.
We hope all is well!
Driving our roads is like a dance with the devil himself, so watch out for those shit-heads!
Hope you get a bumper crop, mission accomplished in a few months when frying them up!
Talking maple I opened my last bottle yesterday for a pick-me-up treat, carrot cake, pecan nuts, ice-cream with drizzle of maple syrup. Have to make it last, have not seen it here in years. Must have purchased these bottles over ten years ago....
Still taking one day at a time here, enjoy warm holiday basking in the sun.
This life is good when we do all the work ourselves, work hard in the morning and come home at night and live happily with children, that is called life. Vegetables play an important role in our life, if we eat more, it keeps us healthy.
I couldn't agree with you anymore. Life is good if you have your priorities in line and it sure sounds like you have.
Good luck with your garden this year!
Oh! I thought that was a coffin under the pile of snow. !LOL
We have a guy here that grows Shitake mushrooms in a special room that has a constant temperature. I posted about it a few years ago, and I still see his mushrooms in the supermarkets. Your idea is great and let's hope that it will be a great success.
Peace and blessings to you guys.
!PIZZA and !LUV
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@thebigsweed, I sent you anWith as many of the logs I inoculated, I hope to get a load of mushrooms. If these go well, I may try to grow a few more varieties.
Peace and blessings to you and Marian as well my friend.
We hope and pray that it all will indeed work out well for you.
Maybe you will become the new mushroom king. !LOL
Thank you also for the kind wishes.
!PIZZA and !LUV
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