Today’s Harvest & A Late Summer Seed Splurge

So, one thing that is great about drunk shopping when you like plants is that you can go crazy on Etsy buying seeds, and still end up spending less than $100. Wine + Etsy + Me on a weekend in PJs has proven to be quite the combination! Also, instead of ornamentals I usually buy food plants, so I rationalize that I’m actually investing in my family’s grocery future.

The cukes in the above photo were from several of my cucumber plants this weekend. My squash were taken out by squash bugs a few weeks back, but luckily squash bugs aren’t much for cucumbers, so I still have those.

I was disappointed that the heirloom cucumbers started curling. I am currently attributing it to the pretty constant rains we received a few weeks ago, but I am also pumping up the fertilizer just in case it was a feeding issue. I’ve learned that plants in this family tend to be heavy feeders.

The green tomatoes are of a few different varieties. I was disappointed to have to trim them back, but I didn’t provide a ton of spacing in the bed they were in. I’m learning to pay close attention to the spacing guidelines, because while they seem aggressive when you plant your started plants, they are typically right on! On the positive side, I’m going to have some fried green tomatoes for lunch. The larger one is from my Cherokee purple, and I cannot WAIT to get some tomatoes off of that bush! If they were closer to red I’d put them in a sunny window, but honestly, I’ve been looking for an excuse to have some yummy FGTs!

Other things I’ve learned:

• I didn’t plant enough of my corn this year. While we grilled it this weekend and it was delicious, it wasn’t fully pollinated, so the top bit and a few interspersed kernels on each were left unpollinated. Since researching, I’ve decided next time I plant it I will do a full block, so pollinators can navigate between the stalks easier.
• I didn’t plant enough okra, either. While I’m improving on my yield planning (Google is getting tired of my How much *** do I need to plant for a family of four searches), I miscalculated my Okra as well. I’ve ended up with a handful of pods every day. Almost enough for a meal, but not quite! I’m going to use this year’s crop for seed and plant them next year in another block.
• I have a great seed organizer. Proud to say I saw it highlighted in Mother Earth News this month after I’d had mine for a bit (link for reference, but unfortunately, the product was only highlighted in the print edition). If you want one as well, I bought mine from Amazon here. (Commission Link).

On the seed front, even though they are cheap, I have a challenge to myself to only buy what is critical for my homestead. I buy seeds that are hard to replicate, or for new plants I don’t have. I’m not a fan of reusing grocery store produce as most of the time they are hybrid varieties and have been around pesticides. That being said, I’m not offended by non-organic produce, but I do try to limit exposure, and I do try to stick with heirloom when I can.

Why are they in the fridge? Well, I have several extra, and am constantly picking up spare coriander from my cilantro plant, etc, and I want to save them until next year. If I put them in the fridge they will keep longer. Cross your fingers for me – this is the first year I’ve tried this!

It was a tongue in cheek moment when my hybrid cucumbers came out so pretty and my heirlooms curled, but they taste the same and I think I figured out how to fix it going forward.