Gardening for the Soul…

Here I am, in my small corner of the world, smack-dab in the middle of Massachusetts. This five-part blog series is for anyone who finds nature feeds their soul and for whom may want to learn a bit more about maintaining vegetable, fruit, and flower gardens.

My experience: I’ve been obsessing over flower gardens for fifteen years, my berries/apples for about seven years, and I’m relatively new to vegetables, four years in now (thanks to impulse pandemic gardening). I only know what I know. My background is in science, and I now write novels full-time. The way I garden is only one way. I am no expert, but feel free to glean whatever information you can from my series…

Let’s talk harvesting!

You started with seeds, inside or outside. Seedlings have sprouted. You’ve watered, fertilized, and tended. You’ve kept your Gardener’s Log of notes for next year. Now, you have gardens brimming with life…and food! Or we hope so, right? Mother Nature can be fickle sometimes. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve done it! Now it’s time to reap the harvest.

Ways to harvest:

A preface: always do a quick read online about how to harvest your specific vegetables, as some are more particular than others (e.g. requiring curing/drying or have a longer grow period). When in doubt, refer to the good ol’ Farmer’s Almanac.

1.       Leafy vegetables – such as herbs, spinach, collards, lettuces, Swiss chard – just cut/clip and eat. Some grow back, depending on the season, or can be replanted for an autumn harvest. A few herbs may require “drying out.”

2.       “Fruits” that have come from flowers – such as peas, beans, peppers, and tomatoes – just pick them right off the vines!

3.       Vine vegetables – such as summer squashes, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers – usually you can twist and snap them off.

4.       Stalks – celery, asparagus – snip and enjoy!

5.       Root vegetables (below ground)  – Carrots are easy to pull up and wash off as needed and they will grow into the cold temperatures of late autumn and last a long time in the fridge. Beets, turnips, radishes, and parsnips are harvested the same way. Onions, garlic, shallots, potatoes, pumpkins, and winter squashes – these all need some “curing” (drying) time for a few weeks before storing for later use. Since they grow below ground, time and observing the stalks will indicate when they are ready for harvest. Sometimes you need to just dig up one to see how it’s going.

Spring Vegetables Have Come and Gone

Lettuce, spinach, early peas, asparagus, kale, chard, broccoli, rhubarb, cabbage, cauliflower…have come and gone. Some stick around longer than others. Leafy vegetables are known to bolt in summer heat. Bolting is when the plant is done growing the green parts we eat (lettuce, broccoli heads, spinach leaves), and puts its energy into flowers. Once this happens, the leaves can taste bitter.

Summer Vegetables in Full Force

Cucumbers, zucchini/summer squash, beans, chard, celery, collards, tomatoes. Pick, eat, enjoy! Many will keep on going into autumn, too, depending on weather conditions.

Autumn Vegetables are Still Going Strong

Potatoes, winter squashes, onions, shallots, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, collards, pumpkins, gourds. Ah, autumn! These vegetables require a longer growing season. Did you know you can also plant spring vegetables a second time in late summer for an autumn yield? These include green beans, peas, collards, lettuce, and spinach among others. Planting for autumn is all about giving them enough time to get sun, while also being frost-hardy (or beating the frosts). I usually plant them in mid to late August. You can also plant some vegetables NOW for a spring harvest, such as onions and garlic.

I’ve never given my gardens grades before, usually just writing notes in my log (you’re still keeping that log, right?). I try new varieties or new arrangements each year, or go with ones that have worked in the past. Trial and error, remember?

Well, this year, they get grades. Obviously it’s subjective based on how I felt they performed and what I yielded. With a record-setting rainfall this summer, I had some troubles. If it’s not a drought, it’s insects, or soggy rains. Mother Nature does what Mother Nature does.

So here is my roundup! How did your vegetables do this year?

October update….dropping my raspberry score to a C- (and they usually are an A+). Though the quantity is A++, the quality is D-. One out of every 5 are usable due to likely fungus (botrytis) - so many are mushy, rotting, or speckled with gray-black-brown mold. Likely this is from the insurmountable rains this year (we’ve had over 2 feet I think in this area). Sad to see. Can salvage some and when we actually have a few dry sunny days, they are much better, but our wet days have outnumbered the dry/sunny since spring. Hoping next year we are back to “normal.” Likewise, my collard greens just never took off and got eaten up by bugs, a first. Not sur if the location (grow bags) had anything to do with it. Making notes for next year!

Have specific gardening questions? Drop me an email through my website contact form. Join me next time to talk about vegetable harvests and fall pruning/planting.

More in the series:

Part 1 (June): Setting up Vegetable Gardens

Part 2 (July): Setting up Perennial Flower Gardens

Part 3 (August): Fruit Extravaganza!

Part 4 (September): Harvesting your Veggies & Planting for Late/Second Harvests

Part 5 (October): Pruning Your Perennials and Preparing For Winter (veggies & flowers)