Sliding from Spring Into Summer
June 10th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Posted in garden
Last year's carrots want to make seeds
“Why did you take down the snap peas?”
I’ve lost count of how many people have asked. The peas, clinging to their trellis, made a lovely wall of green for passersby to admire. But, as I explain, they weren’t making any more peas. No more flowers, no more peas. They were done. I’ve learned from fellow food gardener El that you can’t be sentimental about these things. When a crop has had its turn, you have to be ruthless. Pull it out. Move on to the next thing.
So that’s how I spent Monday. Having removed the snap peas, I was on my hands and knees pulling out lettuces and weeds and anything else that was in the way of my next crop: cucumbers. I have nine varieties of cucumber plants started in seed cells. (I’ll talk more about all the different varieties another time.) They want to go in the ground.
And while I’m at it, I yanked the patch of fava beans. They were exhausted from all this heat and were just splayed all over the leeks. And right next door a patch of carrots planted a little late last fall was bolting as well. Carrots are no fun to eat once they’ve gone to seed. So I pulled all those and harvested a nice, big bowl of carrots in various stages of development. Sorting through them will make a perfect project for daughter and one of her pals.
Suddenly, I have room to plant all sorts of new things. What will it be?
Actually, I like this opportunistic side of gardening. I will consult with my seed packets and make a decision soon.
I just learned what bolting was last night. Now, I’m trying to figure out how to eat a load of radish greens that are attached to not so much of a radish.