Nobody's Mad

Today was unusually cool for Mariposa in June. Overnight low was 55 and daytime temps were mostly in the low 70’s, briefly reaching 80 around 5pm.

We’re hopeful that the cool temperatures will encourage the lettuce we planted yesterday to germinate.

Purple Top, White Globe
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days

36 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 24 of 36 (67%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1″ tall.
06/10: 36 of 36 (100%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1-1/2″ tall.
06/14: 36 of 36 (100%) have shoots 1″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 3″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/04: Thinned. Stalks chopped in soup. Leaves chopped and heated with salt, pepper, lemon, and sherry, then spread thickly on digestive biscuits as an appetizer.
07/18: 12″ to 17″ tall, with foliage diameters to 24″. Unfortunately shadowing parsnips.
07/19: Thinned one turnip and ate as turnip chips.
07/19: Hosed off as a precaution against aphids which we had found on related plants nearby.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: Approx 17″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″.
07/25: Started occasional harvest as they come ready.
08/01: Approx 13-22″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″. Several ready but too hot to eat turnips right now.
08/07: Approx 25″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 26″. Crowding parsnips. Occasional harvesting.
08/15: 18″ to 24″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 28″. 2″ to 3″ diameter. Harvest continues. Foliage looks healthy but seems to be starting to lie down.
08/23: Foliage lying down and going dormant. Three roots remain.
08/30: One roots remains.
09/02: Last root had been completely hollowed out by slugs, the only turnip thus affected.

Harvest: 53-92 days

Fordbook Giant
Expected germination: 4-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days

18 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: No visible change.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 2″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/21: Planted out.
07/01: Heat stressed – added shade.
07/05: Started occasional outer-leaf-snipping harvest.
07/05: Removed shade.
07/12: Removed approx one third of leaves due to brown patches.
07/14: Brown patches identified as caused by spinach leaf miner.
07/18: No harvesting since 07/12 as MJH prefers larger leaves. Now 7″ to 12″ tall with diameters 9″ to 19″.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: 11″ to 20″ tall, with diameters 9″ to 15″. Harvesting remains deferred in favor of continued growth.
07/28: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
08/01: 17″ to 23″ tall, with diameters about 16″. Occasional harvest resumed.
08/07: 15″ to 30″ tall, with diameters 12″ to 19″. Occasional harvesting.
08/15: 18″ to 24″ tall. Nearly exhausted.
08/23: 12″ to 27″ tall. Old but still harvesting.
08/30: 11″ to 17″ tall, with diameters 10″ to 18″. Old but still harvesting.

Oregon Sugar Pod II (Livingston)
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 68 days

36 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: Most have swelled and are now visible at or upon soil surface. 24 of 36 (67%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 0″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/14: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 1-1/4″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 4″ to 5″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: Vine mass to 22″ tall.
07/24: Vine mass to 27″ tall. Flowered during last week and a dozen or so pods developed. Started occasional harvest today.
08/01: Vine mass 26″ to 32″ tall. Plants were set back a day or two by the extreme heat but now the daily harvest has resumed.
08/07: Vine mass 28″ to 33″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but new growth has started.
08/15: Vine mass 32″ to 36″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but there are many new flowers.
08/21: Resumed harvest.
08/23: Vine mass 29″ to 34″ tall. Yielding nicely again.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against (light) powdery mildew.
08/30: Vine mass 26″ to 34″ tall. Several flowers and lots of pods. Yielding nicely.
09/15: Drastic drop in productivity since last week’s hot weather.

American Purple Top
Expected germination: 3-10 days
Expected harvest: 90 days

36 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 27 of 36 (75%) have shoots 0″ to 1/4″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1/4″ to 3/4″ tall.
06/14: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/10: Thinned. Leaves and stalks chopped and boiled with dinner.
07/18: 9″ to 14″ tail, with foliage diameters to 24″. Unfortunately shading carrots.
07/19: Found and hosed off some aphid colonies.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: Approx 17″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″.
08/01: 14″ to 18″ tall, with foliage diameters 29″ to 33″.
08/02: Sprayed some leaves with 0.001% spinosad against aphids.
08/07: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 32″. Crowding cabbage and carrots.
08/12: Powdery mildew.
08/12: Started harvest.
08/15: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Powdery mildew.
08/23: Approx 25″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Severe powdery mildew.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against powdery mildew.
08/30: Approx 24″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 30″. Crowding cabbage. Powdery mildew. A few roots formed.
09/15: Leaves dying back despite very little development of storage root. Dug up remaining plants.

Harvest: 74-105 days. Good flavor but only about half yielded usable roots.. Poor crop may be due to limited sun and/or overcrowding.

French Breakfast
Expected germination: 5-7 days
Expected harvest: 23 days

18 seeds (we’re planning on 54 more later)

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
06/30: Begin harvest as they become ready.
07/06: End harvest.

Harvest: 28-34 days

Quadrato D’Asti Rosso
Expected germination: 10-12 days
Expected harvest: 95-110 days

9 seeds

06/02: Planted 1 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: No visible change.
06/10: No visible change.
06/14: No visible change.
06/19: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1-1/2″ tall.
07/06: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 3″ tall.
07/10: 8 of 9 (89%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 3″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 2-1/2″ to 4-1/2″ tall.
07/24: 4″ to 6″ tall, with foliage diameter 4″ to 7″.
08/01: 6-1/2″ to 7-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 9″ to 11″.
08/07: 8″ to 11″ tall, with foliage diameter 12″ to 16″. A few leaves have become twisted/inverted.
08/15: 7″ to 12″ tall, with foliage diameter 13″ to 21″. Healthy looking.
08/23: 13″ to 19″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 16″. Buds just starting to form.
08/30: 13″ to 20″ tall, with foliage diameter 15″ to 18″. Buds not yet opened.
10/09: With nights getting colder we picked the largest pepper – about half the normal dimensions or about an eighth the normal volume.

Wando
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 68 days

54 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 27 cells.
06/06: Most have swelled and are now visible at or upon soil surface. 22 of 54 (41%) have shoots just starting.
06/10: 51 of 54 (94%) have shoots 0″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/14: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2-1/2″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 3″ to 6″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: Mass is up to 26″ tall with four vines taller at up to 37″. First flowers developing.
07/24: Mass varies from 27″ to 48″ tall. Many flowers and the first few pods are developing.
08/01: Mass varies from 40″ to 63″ tall. Many pods starting to fatten.
08/07: Mass varies from 37″ to 68″ tall. Many pods ready to pick and many still fattening.
08/07: We’ll count the harvest as starting today, although we actually left them on the vines until 08/09 so as to have enough for four people at Sunday lunch.
08/09: Light powdery mildew on leaves facing fence.
08/15: Mass varies from 46″ to 69″ tall. Harvest continues. Powdery mildew on all but newest leaves.
08/19: Heavy powdery mildew. Harvested two small servings.
08/23: Mass varies from 60″ to 70″ tall. Heavy powdery mildew below 52″. Several young pods.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against powdery mildew.
08/29: Harvested two small portions.
08/30: Mass varies from 36″ to 68″ tall. Lots of powdery mildew. A few young pods.
09/05: Mostly died back, severe powdery mildew, and only a few young pods. Pulled out.

Harvest: 66-88 days, perhaps 6ozs total. Very disappointing.

Harris Model
Expected germination: 15-25 days
Expected harvest: 130 days

54 seeds

06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 27 cells.
06/06: A couple have swelled and are now visible at soil surface.
06/10: Nothing visible, not even the two 06/06 seeds.
06/14: 26 of 54 (48%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/19: 44 of 54 (81%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: 7″ to 11″ tall. Unfortunately shaded by turnips.
07/24: Approx 14″ tall.
08/01: 11″ to 19″ tall. Storage roots approx 1″ long and 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick.
08/07: 13″ to 24″ tall. Crowded by turnips.
08/15: 18″ to 27″ tall.
08/23: 13″ to 28″ tall.
08/30: 20″ to 26″ tall. Storage roots approx 2-1/2″ long and 3/4″ thick.
09/22: Harvested about a dozen. Storage roots approx 3″ long and 3/4″ thick.