So. Many. Cucumbers. I picked 7 yesterday and had some in the fridge already. I cut some older wrinkly ones up for the ducks, turned one into tzatziki sauce, and eat cucumber chips with hummus and tzatziki for lunch daily. They are also layered on sandwiches instead of lettuce. I'll be making a vinegar based cucumber salad today. Someone send help.
Here is a google earth image of my yard. Not the home with the red roof, but the grey roof you can barely see just below it. Near total canopy coverage unless I decide to plant on the roof.
You could totally go the Brooklyn roof top garden route. From looking at that, you aren't going to have a good crop for vegetables with so little sunlight, although it does look like the area by the road gets some sun. Might want to cut a bed into the area in between the trees and the road and make a garden there.
Yes I could, but I don’t want to. The trees shade the house to the point where it really cools things down, and the view from our deck and back windows is beautiful. I’ll continue to bitch about my lack of tomatoes, but that’s not important for me to take down a bunch of fully grown trees. Besides, the emerald ash borers, oak blight, etc will take them down soon anyway.
Today's haul. Tons of jalapenos and some cucumbers remain to be picked but it was time to go inside. I'm about to post kale for sale because I haven't touched it in a solid week or two and there is so much available. I used up 3 cucumbers and some jalapenos in a vinegar salad and maybe 10 or 12 banana peppers in some fridge pickles. I like to reuse the brine from commercial pickles to make quick fridge pickles. You can easily reuse the brine 3x or so. Sometimes I'll add a little white vinegar because the fresh veggies may water it down a little. The heat waves have definitely amped up the jalapenos. They are decidedly hotter than spring. Dinner was rough and my fingers are burning still.
Re: fridge pickles You literally just reuse the brine from your favorite picked item. I've done it with vlasic pickles for pickle chips and vlasic hot banana peppers. I find that stuffing the jar full ends up watering the brine down so I leave room to top it off with a cm or so of white vinegar. In the pickle chips I put a teaspoon of jarred garlic in it as well. Doesn't change the taste, just brings it back up to original potency. Depending on how full you stuffed the jar, it can take a few days to a week or so to get the item to taste pickled fully. These are not long term pickled items and not shelf stable. They must be stored in the fridge but will be good for 2-3 months. I use them well before then. You can reuse the brine several times and adding a bit of vinegar freshens it up nicely.
Grow lights and hydroponics, man. That'd make for some expensive tomatoes, though. My front yard is like that, barely any sun gets through. The back yard was same until they had to take out a massive oak for a new septic system.
At this point, my tomatoes are just mocking me. I am pretty happy with how my pruning has really upped the (albeit green) fruit production so far. And while my cherry tomatoes aren't as huge as they were last year, these "orange not red" tomatoes are REALLY tasty.
The cucumbers have begun. 5 huge plants, going rogue... there will be a lot of them for the next little while. Here's hoping the tomatoes catch up soon.
@Nettdata your garden is so neat and tidy. It won't be long before you get tomatoes. I think it was about 2 or 3 weeks after the cucumbers that the tomatoes started to trickle in, although I really think ripening was delayed with the stupid temps we had here awhile back. I mean, they are still stupid, but not 110-118 for a week straight. Perhaps as a reflection of my personality, my garden is a messy jungle. This is after a trim. In my defense the heirloom San marzanos are like the pinnacle of "indeterminate". Vines grow out at the end of tomato clusters which then grow their own suckers, suckers grow on leaves. It's wild. The beefsteak are easier to keep in order and I am impressed with the number of flowers and fruit they are putting on. So far the yellow brandywine hasn't done shit. I won't grow that one again. Spoiler: tomatoes I have so much stuff rolling in right now and have not been keeping up very well. My fridge is full. I think I will donate to the local food kitchen/needy family charity. I have been giving away eggs and peppers to neighbors too. Tonight we are having a red sauce over pasta made in part with garden bell peppers, tomatoes, and basil, with a side of pan fried zucchini and yellow squash with balsamic vinegar. Tomorrow I will pickle jalapenos, make chili rellenos, and donate cucumbers and kale. That'll put a dent in what I have now.... but there is always more. Lunch, more cucumbers and some mint. Flatbread from out of the freezer. I make batches with the sourdough starter. Unrelated to veggie garden, here is a favorite of mine that I started from seed a couple years ago. It's a perennial so it comes back without help. Starting flowers from seed feels more satisfying when you get a permanent addition to the garden. Some of the annual bedding flowers are so cheap at the nursery that it doesn't make sense to try them, unless you want something very specific.
I’ve neglected to mention that I’m growing basil and parsley for the first time this year (pots). Not only do they grow like crazy but they taste amazing fresh picked. So my “garden “ isn’t a total loss.
To me the only thing I ask from my garden is lots of fresh basil, lots of cucumbers, and lots of tomatoes. That, with some balsamic, olive oil, prosciutto and cheese, is a meal unto itself.
I'd call that a success! Herbs are the best thing you can grow, period. They are what I would grow if I didn't have a yard, and are the first thing I prioritize growing in the garden. They are so great tasting and make everything you cook better. Fresh herbs from the store are never as fresh and are so expensive for the quantity.
Speaking of herbs, I decided to plant some chives in a pot this year and it has gone gangbusters. Anybody have any suggestions on what to do with a bunch of chives other than topping on eggs or potatoes?
So… with my recent financial windfall my mom has free room and board for life. And a ton of cash in the bank (as I bought the house from her). She got a wee bit drunk (on my wine) one night and made an online purchase. It was installed today.