June 2015 Harvests

Looking back on my June veggie and fruit harvests, I can see it was a very productive month.  Of course, I don't need to look at the pictures to figure that out.  I can just open my fridge to see it overflowing with cucumber and tomatoes to see that I have more produce than my household can consume.

I was especially proud of my blackberry harvest.  I planted 6-7 blackberry plants about three years ago, and didn't get a single blackberry harvest until this year.  Unfortunately, only one of my plants survived the last few hot and dry summers, but I still got a decent harvest from the one plant.  I planted another three plants this year, which seem to really be taking off, so hopefully I'll get some good harvests in the coming years, maybe even enough to make some jam.

With our continued heavy rainfalls, I've only had to supplement watering about once or twice this season, which is drastically different from prior years, when my garden required daily watering.  I recently learned from a Central Texas Gardener episode that some stress on plants by not getting daily watering is actually good for them and makes them more productive, so I now only water the garden about once or twice a week, if there is no rainfall.  The garden seems to be doing well with that method.

I am constantly cooking old and new recipes with the produce.  I use as much as I can fresh, as well as dabbled in some of my first canning attempts.  And my family, friends, and co-workers are willing to let me unload any excess produce on them.

Here are some of the ways I've been using my produce:

Breakfast

• Tomatoes and peppers chopped and added to egg dishes
• Blackberries on top of cereal or with yogurt and granola for a parfait

Lunch

• Tomatoes and cucumbers added to every sandwich
• Cucumber soup
• Caprese salad, with fresh basil from the garden

Snack

• Sliced cucumbers dipped in hummus
• Blackberries with crackers, cheese, and charcuterie

Side Dish

• Tomato and cucumber salad with lemon juice, salt and pepper
• Fresh babaganoush with garden eggplant

Dinner

• Eggplant rollatini

Here are the June 2015 harvest tallies (37 lbs 7.8 oz total)!:

• 1 lb 13.5 oz blackberries
• 10 lb 10 oz pickling cucumbers (19)
• 7 lb 6.7 oz slicing cucumbers (14)
• 2 lb 10.3 oz Black Beauty eggplant (3)
• 1 lb 6.8 0z Ichiban eggplant (5)
• 4.5 oz Blue Lake green beans
• 0.8 oz Cayenne peppers
• 4.3 oz Gypsy peppers (3)
• 12.5 oz Beefmaster tomatoes (1)
• 7.5 oz Better Boy tomatoes (1)
• 6.2 oz Brandywine tomatoes (1)
• 3 lb 1.3 oz Celebrity tomatoes (8)
• 3.5 oz Cherry tomatoes
• 1 lb 13.5 oz Early Girl tomatoes (8)
• 1 lb 1.6 oz Grape tomatoes
• 1 lb 9.2 oz Juliet tomatoes
• 2 lb 7.8 oz Pear tomatoes
• 15.8 oz Roma tomatoes (7)

2015 total harvests to date (68 lbs 2.0 oz):

• 1 lb 13.5 oz blackberries
• 1 lb 1.2 oz broccoli
• 5 lb 13.9 oz Fordhook chard
• 5 lb 13.2 oz Ruby Red chard
• 7.1 oz cilantro
• 6 lb 10.3 oz Flash collards
• 10 lb 10 oz pickling cucumbers (19)
• 7 lb 6.7 oz slicing cucumbers (14)
• 3 lb 7.9 oz Black Beauty eggplant (3)
• 1 lb 6.8 0z Ichiban eggplant (5)
• 7 colanders salad greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula)
• 2 lb 0 oz Blue Lake green beans
• 3 lb 13.9 oz kale
• 1 lb 2.9 oz Meyer lemons (5)
• 6.5 oz parsley
• 0.8 oz Cayenne peppers
• 2.4 oz Flavorburst yellow pepper (1)
• 7.1 oz Gypsy peppers (5)
• 0.8 oz Mariachi pepper (1)
• 2.9 oz Pablano pepper (2)
• 7.5 oz Cherry Bell radish
• 4.0 oz spinach
• 12.5 oz Beefmaster tomatoes (1)
• 7.5 oz Better Boy tomatoes (1)
• 6.2 oz Brandywine tomatoes (1)
• 3 lb 1.3 oz Celebrity tomatoes (8)
• 3.5 oz Cherry tomatoes
• 2 lb 15.2 oz Early Girl tomatoes (12)
• 1 lb 3.4 oz Grape tomatoes
• 1 lb 9.2 oz Juliet tomatoes
• 2 lb 12.0 oz Pear tomatoes
• 15.8 oz Roma tomatoes (7)

Blackberries and Artichokes

Garden Goals for 2015 #6 has been achieved:  plant at least three more blackberry bushes.  Check.  On this glorious 70 degree day in Central Texas, I even over-achieved my goal by planting FOUR new blackberry bushes!

Two or three years ago I planted six thornless blackberries (and two boysenberries) bushes along our back fence.  All but one died.  I'm not sure exactly what the primary reason was, but I assume it was a mix of not having the right soil prep, not enough watering during drought conditions, and not mulching enough to keep the weeds and grass from stealing nutrients from the plant.  I also planted the blackberries right up against the chain-link fence, where the deer stuck their muzzles through and gnawed down the canes before they could produce any berries.

The one that remains is either an Arapaho or Ouachita.  I can't remember since I wasn't blogging and keeping very good planting records at the time.  I'm gonna bet that it is an Arapaho, since those do well in this region.

Today I planted four bare-root blackberry brambles purchased from the Natural Gardener in Austin, so all varieties do well in the area.  I got one Roseborough, one Brazos, and two Apache.

• Apache (Thornless) Medium-large fruit; Ripens early July; Sweet and firm fruit; Erect plant; 1999 release from University of Arkansas; Resistant to rosette disease and orange rust.
• Brazos (Thorny) Large fruit; Ripens mid- to late May; Soft fruit with tart, acidic flavor; Vigorous grower and heavy producer; Disease resistant; Good for cooking; Very widely adapted to most areas of Texas; Has raspberry and wild dewberry in its parentage; Introduced by Texas A&M in 1959.
• Roseborough (Thorny) Large fruit; Ripens in late May; Juicy fruit with delicious sweet flavor; Erect plant; Heavy producer; Disease resistant; Released by Texas A&M University in 1977.

I planted them along the back fence again, however with amended soil (compost and manure), as well as far enough away from the fence (about two feet) so the deer can't reach them by sticking their tongues through the chain-link.

You can't see the little bare root brambles very well in this picture, but I assure you, they are there in the center of each wire "tomato cage."  From left to right we have Roseborough, three year-old mystery bramble (Apache?), Apache, Brazos, Apache.  Next weekend I plan to heavily mulch the area to limit competition with weeds and grass.

Another view of the tiny little stick that will one day grow up to be a beautiful blackberry bush (at least, that's what I hope and will work towards).

Also on this beautiful winter afternoon, I planted two more artichoke crowns.  I planted one small artichoke plant (Tavor) last spring, which has not produced for me, yet.  Today I planted two two-year-old globe artichoke crowns, again from the Natural Gardener.

The new artichokes got planted near the Tavor artichoke, on the corner of the deck bed, which gets plenty of sunlight year-round.  My original plant is in the back, and the two new ones are in the front.  Again, kind of hard to see, but they are located in the little holes between the pine mulch.  Artichokes should be planted 3-4 feet apart, but I only planted mine two feet apart.  I guess I will see later if I regret my decision.  I just hope I can harvest a few artichokes this year!