2014: Year of the Tomato

October 7, 2014 hilary dahl

Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato                                                               … — Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato
Photo by: Hilary Dahl

It turned out 2014 was all about tomatoes! Tomatoes seem to be the crop that excites our clients and gardeners all around Seattle the most. While tomatoes are very easy to grow in many parts of the country, our summers tend to be relatively cool and short. While many Seattle transplants are used to eating fresh tomatoes off of the vine all summer long, it isn’t uncommon that we find ourselves harvesting tons of green tomatoes off dying vines at the end of September.

How to Plant Garlic

October 7, 2014 hilary dahl

Garlic is a member of the Allium family, which also includes onions, scallions, shallots and leeks.

Garlic is a very long season crop. Garlic grows best when planted in the fall because it must “vernalize.” When a crop requires vernalization, it means that it will grow best after prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. In the case of garlic, vernalization initiates the bulbing of the head.

Last Call For Planting

September 9, 2014 hilary dahl

With the exception of garlic, September is the last month to plant annual edible crops In the Pacific Northwest. Plants need a minimum of 10 hours of daylight to grow and by the end of October the daylight hours have grown too short for crops to mature.

Kohlrabi for Fall

September 9, 2014 hilary dahl

Kohlrabi is an often-ignored crop in home vegetable gardens, and we think that’s a shame. It’s easy to grow and surprisingly tasty. The roots are high in vitamin C, and the leafy greens are a great source of vitamin A, folate, and calcium.

A Quick Note on Fall Spinach

September 9, 2014 hilary dahl

Overwintering this cold-hardy green is easy! For successful overwintering, it is important that you thin your spinach to decrease competition between plants and increase air circulation. Once your spinach has developed 3 sets of leaves, thin seedlings to 4-6” apart. If you end up pulling out lots of healthy looking seedlings and have more room in your garden, transplant them to increase your fall and early spring harvest! You can always pull them out when you need to make room for spring crops.

Harvesting Garlic Scapes

June 5, 2014 hilary dahl

A garlic scape is the elongated, curly stem that emerges from the central stem of hardneck garlic plants in early summer. It’s actually the precursor of the garlic’s seed head or flower. The scapes are delicious, and removing them will ultimately result in a larger bulb of garlic.

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