Exciting news! Today was the first harvest from the raised beds I built this spring.
It's been a tough year so far for the plants that were started in the spring. With it being such a rainy, cool May and June here in Colorado, the plants lacked the sunshine they needed to get going.
Then through June and July, strong hail storms decimated the tender growth that had begun. I was able to rescue them and protect them from the storms as well as pests using some netting and stakes.
So, as you can imagine, any small crop is an exciting day!
I picked arugula (or rocket as it's known in England, where I grew up), romaine, buttercrunch, and a radish!
Arugula
First of all, the arugula had gotten a little out of control and needed pruning. Too many stalky stems had developed and started flowering. We need the plant to concentrate on leafy growth rather than putting it's energy into developing flowers at this stage. So I simply took a pair of scissors (they're more delicate than some pruning instruments) and cut the stalks near to where they sprouted out from another stem to remove the flowers. As I did so, I took the leaves from those stalks. Some of the leaves were small, but the nice thing about rocket is the powerful flavor they provide, so even small leaves add great flavor to a salad or sandwich.
Romaine and Buttercrunch Lettuce
Romaine and buttercrunch lettuce are easy to harvest. If you just want a small amount, then simply cut the leaves on the outer edges of the plant. It's best to harvest leaves early in the morning before it gets too warm. This prevents them from wilting once they're picked and gives you a nice fresh salad or some flavor and texture to your sandwich
Place the arugula, romaine and buttercrunch lettuce leaves into a colander and rinse with cold water. Place into a bowl with a paper towel to dry and it's ready for lunch later today!
Don't forget to cover your plants again with the netting to protect your them from wind/hail and pests!
Radish
Underneath all of the leafy growth of the radish plant was a surprise radish bulb! By gently pulling the plant at the base, I removed the plant and bulb from the soil. Brush off the dirt and remove any roots, nip off the stems and plant material with a pair of scissors - wash and ready to eat!
Growing your own food is very rewarding. Give it a try. The most helpful things I did to help them grow were:
Using garden netting to protect plants from the hail/wind and pests
Wire hoops to support the garden netting
Applying plant feed
Check out the set up below. The netting and hoops work so well! I highly recommend using this for your vegetable garden too!
Chat with you soon!
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