Second Year SFG in Canada

Mrs TD and I made cabbage rolls using as a starting point a 10 lb head of cabbage grown in one of the old style SFG beds. As part of the ingredients for the sauce we used tomatoes from that same old style SFG bed and multiplier onions from one of the new style SFG beds. 

The cabbage suffered damage from white butterfly caterpillars as evidenced by the condition of the outer leaves. However, the head of the cabbage had no infestation and no damage.



Prepared and ready to go into the oven.  A second batch was cooked in a slow cooker.

How big did your multiplier onions get? Mine are always so small.

CapeCoddess wrote:How big did your multiplier onions get? Mine are always so small.

Most of mine are small as well. The biggest one so far was about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. I like them and they are easy to grow. I'll grow them again next year.

Looks delicious!

Are potato, walking, multiplier and Egyptian onions the same thing?

Great question. I believe Egyptian and walking onions are the same thing. And multiplier and potato onions are the same thing. But let's wait till someone in the know comes along and set me straight.

trolleydriver wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:How big did your multiplier onions get? Mine are always so small.

Most of mine are small as well. The biggest one so far was about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. I like them and they are easy to grow. I'll grow them again next year.

2-1/2 inches?  My largest are the size of an Aggie.
CC

CapeCoddess wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:How big did your multiplier onions get? Mine are always so small.

Most of mine are small as well. The biggest one so far was about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. I like them and they are easy to grow. I'll grow them again next year.

2-1/2 inches?  My largest are the size of an Aggie.
CC

What is an Aggie, CC?

Kelejan wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:How big did your multiplier onions get? Mine are always so small.

Most of mine are small as well. The biggest one so far was about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. I like them and they are easy to grow. I'll grow them again next year.

2-1/2 inches?  My largest are the size of an Aggie.
CC

What is an Aggie, CC?

If I recall correctly an Aggie is a type of marble (the kids' toy) made from agate.

Yes. And when I was a kid we called the big marbles, aka Shooters, Aggies.

TD and CC, re Aggies;  Now I remember.  Usually one can remember the early years of childhood but this one slipped my mind.  I know how large they were compared to the regular marbles.

The cucumbers just keep on coming. I checked the vines yesterday and took all the big ones (too big most of them). When the grandkids were visiting today we found this lot. Again the Early Russians are huge, except for the two at the front which are probably a better size for eating. I've cut a few into slices and they are being dehydrated.  Not sure what the markings are caused by on the English Telegraph cuces on the left. Almost looks like leaf miner damage.

Starting a new trip away tomorrow. As part of the preparations I ...

1. Watered all SFG squares.

2. Pruned back all the flowers (marigolds, calendula, nasturtiums) that were overcrowding the beds.

3. Used the Vitamix to turn the harvested and uneaten cucumbers into a semi-liquid which I poured into ice cube trays. If it works, then the cucumber ice cubes will be used in future` smoothies.

4. Used the harvested eggplant, tomatillos and onions in a dish I prepared for dinner.

5. We will take some veggies with us to use at my mom's place while we are there.

BTW Environment Canada is forecasting a warmer than average September for my area, so I may get some season extension for the SFG.

And now I am on vacation again ... wait a minute ... I'm retired ... I'm always on vacation.

It's hard work always being on vacation TD. Look at all the preparation you have to do.   Enjoy yourself and drive safely.

Back home after being away for a week. The gardens survived well. Our son and daughter-in-law harvested some of the veggies four days ago. They had so much they gave some to their neighbours.

Here is what I harvested today including cherry tomatoes (ANSFG), other tomatoes (old style SFG), cucumbers (ANSFG), tomatillos (regular soil).


And here is what the TT looks like.

You must be a happy camper, TD. 

Wow, TD, what a great welcome home! What's that big orange thing in the top right side of the 1st photo?

CC

CapeCoddess wrote:Wow, TD, what a great welcome home!  What's that big orange thing in the top right side of the 1st photo?

CC

CC ... the big orange thing is a cucumber that has gone "alien". It was buried under some big leaves and I did not see it until yesterday. I think it is only good for the compost bin.

Speaking of cucumbers ... Mrs TD and I had some dainty English style cucumber sandwiches for lunch today. We both put on weight during the summer and needed something light (reduced calories). Mrs TD has started us counting points per the old style Weight Watchers program. Yikes! 

trolleydriver wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:Wow, TD, what a great welcome home!  What's that big orange thing in the top right side of the 1st photo?

CC

CC ... the big orange thing is a cucumber that has gone "alien". It was buried under some big leaves and I did not see it until yesterday. I think it is only good for the compost bin.

That cuke is good for saving seeds from.

CC

CapeCoddess wrote:


That cuke is good for saving seeds from.  

CC

Yes ... great idea. Tks. 

 

Here we go with an almost mid September update on the SFG.  Warning ... there are a lot of photos below.

First up is today's harvest which includes cuces, beans, banana pepper and acorn squash. These are all from the SFG except the acorn squash which came from a regular soil bed.




My melons did not do well this year.  This is the largest (about the size of a softball).



The cherry tomato plants are towering above the six foot trellis.



Cayenne peppers and an eggplant.



Spinach started outdoors from seed in August.



Radish started outdoors from seed in August.




Lettuce started outdoors from seed in August. I also started kale but did not get a photo.



Cucumber plant going above the five foot trellis.




Plenty of marigolds in the SFG beds even after thinning them out a couple of weeks ago.



A lot of green roma tomatoes.



And a lot of green big beef tomatoes which turned out to be not so big this year.



A good crop of cheery tomatoes which I love to eat right off the vine when I am tending the SFG beds.



Nasturtium in the TT.



Basil, oregano, and other herbs in the TT.




Multiplier onions.



Carrots in the Top Hat.



General view of the SFG beds.



View from another direction.



Top down of one of the beds.



Basil and eggplant.



Chicken wire cage on one of the beds.



This bed is primarily for strawberries and has a chicken wire cage. Next year it will be dedicated entirely to strawberries.



Top down view of one of the old style SFG beds.



And finally this is the other old style SFG bed.

The following series of photos show what is growing in the non-SFG regular soil beds as of near mid September. For an update on the current status of the SFG beds please see the previous post.

Lemon Grass ... probably should harvest this soon and decide what to do with it.



The Tomatillos are bountiful.



A lone potato plant.  The grandchildren harvested the other potatoes.



More Tomatillos and Ground Cherries (near the front).



I planted some left over Tomato plants behind the compost bins. I have just let them go wild.  There are some green tomatoes but the plants have put all of their energy into stems and leaves.



Rhubarb



Scarlet Runner Beans.

TD, are your Scarlet Runners producing any beans? This is my first year growing them and it's been dismal at best.   I've never tasted them before and I think I got 2 so far.

Fabulous photos and wonderful Tour, by the way. Thanks!

CapeCoddess wrote:TD, are your Scarlet Runners producing any beans? This is my first year growing them and it's been dismal at best.   I've never tasted them before and I think I got 2 so far.

Fabulous photos and wonderful Tour, by the way. Thanks!

CC ... It's my first year with Scarlet Runners as well. They have only just started to produce beans and those beans are quite small. I think some people grow them just for the colour rather than the beans. I have no idea what the beans taste like and I'm not sure they will grow big enough for me to find out.

Wow, can't believe how well everything looks.  Mostly green and not dead or dying like my garden.

Thanks for sharing all of those great pictures of your gardens. They look amazing- and so productive. 

Like you, I am increasing the number of strawberries that I grow...we can never get enough of them at our house! Lately I have been using some runners as new plants. I also have at least three kinds (for strawberries in the spring, summer and all season). I saw that your strawberries are caged. Is that to keep the critters and birds out? We have a problem with "little nibblers" in our area.

I think this year was a good year for gardeners in Ottawa. We got lots of sun  There were some dry spells- but looks like your great mulch helped with that. 

For the leafy tomatoes around the compost, I wonder if the problem could be too much nutrients when the plants are young? I have the same problem in some of my SFGs. Any ideas?