PNW: September 2013

I'll probably plant them.

My elephant garlic, I think I'll plant in pots and grow bags, since I understand it is related more closely to leeks than true garlic, and so I wonder if it is as near universally lousy a companion plant as leeks are.

I've never eaten leeks. Have no idea what to do with them if I grew them. At least I now know that they are bad neighbors!

They're good in leek and potato soup, but I can't recall if I've had them any other way. For big fans of them, they seem like a pretty good thing to grow, as at least in the markets around here, they can be pretty pricey.

I have a halibut recipe featuring leeks, along with shallots, green onions, and regular onions, as well as other ingredients. Please PM me if you're interested.

Donna,  Thank you for the offer but it would be lost on me.  Unfortunately, my husband doesn't really like onions.  I have to sneak regular onions into soups and stir fries where they become just a small part of the taste.

Maybe you can post the recipe in the recipe section for everyone to share?

The rain has been so steady -- nearly every day we get at least a bit, and often quite a bit, for at least three weeks now -- that I thought the tomatoes were done splitting, inconsistent watering being the thing. But a whole lot of them split just last night, it looks like. Green and red and pinkish alike. I had to pick a lot to see what I could salvage, and I threw half a dozen really nice brandywines away, as they were beyond hope (and kinda gross).

Latest plantings of lettuce are having a really hard time sprouting, and once sprouted, just sit there a half-inch high. Kale is very slow too. Some spinach is doing okay, quite a few didn't sprout, and those that sprouted aren't exactly growing wildly.

On the plus side, tomato plants themselves look healthier than ever and are still putting out new flowers and tomatoes. A little late in the season though. I'll be ripping up plants taking green tomatoes in any day now.