This year we got lucky here in Northeast Ohio and didn’t get our below freezing weather until late October. But I wasn’t worried about it (OK, maybe a little) because I already had my fall gardening plan in play. Back in August and September, I prepped several areas (including my summertime potato/pumpkin patch) and planted some fall crops, including purple top turnips, peas, onions, carrots, mustard, spinach, and corn salad (aka mache). All of these can handle and even thrive in cool temperatures and occasional frosts. When you add in my already growing Swiss chard, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, and various herbs, this fall will be delicious right up to Christmas and beyond. Makes me feel a little sorry for those gardeners who till up their gardens in the fall and wait until next May to plant again (like my next door neighbors).
Garden as of November 1, 2013Garden as of 7/29/2013Turnips, Peas, and Corn Salad – 11/4/2013Dragon Tongue Mustard going to seed – 11/4/2013
This spring, I let my overwintered corn salad go to seed, spreading some of the spent plants all around my garden during May (call me Snarky Mache Seed). This August, I noticed little corn salad plants growing all over, as some chillier weather woke up the seeds just as my summer plants were winding down. Corn salad is probably the most cold weather adapted crop I have in my garden and will be available for eating all the way into January. My evil plan this year was to get it established so it would just come up on it’s own year after year. I just love perennials (even when they aren’t technically considered as such). My logic is that if I’m going to have “weeds” come up in my garden, they should be edible.
Nice examples of corn salad in my garden – April 2013Corn salad spontaneously growing around corn – 11/4/2013
Besides the planting and harvesting, I also have one other major garden activity – leaf mulching. I bought a lawn sweeper last year so I could fill my garden with them (including some new areas that had previously been lawn). The effort was quite the success as my weeds were down (except in the back where the leaves were scarce) and my soil seemed to get better. This year I’m making concerted effort to pile the leaves around as evenly as possible so I can spread the wealth, so to speak. I even piled them up on my new garlic bed, located outside the fence to the west of my garden. Even the groundhogs won’t bother garlic so it made no sense to grow it inside like I did this past year. And of course, unlike last year, I remembered to split up the bulbs into cloves and only planted the biggest.
Fall leaves soon to be garden mulch – 11/4/2013Lawn Sweeping on 11/9/2013
With the start of fall comes my seed saving efforts. With a bounty of seeds, I’ve been considering setting up some type of Internet-based sales site, but that might have to wait until late in 2014. For now, I’m going to limit my myself to trading, swapping, and time credits from the Kent Community TimeBank.
It’s been an eventful 2013 spring for the Snarky Gardener. He has learned humility and patience, especially since it’s taking forever for everyone to know how wonderful he truly is. Mother nature has given many lessons this year, and it’s possible the Snarky Gardener won’t make the same mistakes next year. Here’s the summary of highlights and lowlights (is that really a word?) for this spring.
Fenced Back Yard Garden – 6/13/2013
Starting my own plants
This year started with much (probably too much) enthusiasm as January can make a gardener in Ohio a little nuts. Overall it went well, with lots of tomatoes, and basil plants to plant and trade. I do need to improve on starting dates, labeling, and hardening off. All of these issues come down to one thing – patience. I tend to want to start seeds earlier than they should be, forget to label and/or record properly, and to rush plants outside too soon.
Spinach was a little hard to get germinated (maybe one in two seeds actually sprouted). I used the AeroGarden starter kit, so maybe spinach just doesn’t do very well with that system. I’ve done some research on soil cubes and could go that direction for spinach and others next year.
Frosts and freezes
Last year we in Northeast Ohio got spoiled with an early spring with warm weather in March and April. This year we had freezes and frosts into late May and I lost quite a few tomatoes and peppers. I’ll make a concerted effort not put out the majority of my frost intolerant plant until late May next year.
Frosted tomatoes – 5/25/2013
Groundhogs
This is the second year I’ve had issues with groundhogs in my garden. Last year in July, a little guy (named him Woody) terrorized my garden for a week or two until I finally caught him in the act of trespassing and theft. He took out half my early corn and green beans before I was able to finally capture him. Let’s just say that he’s in a better place now.
Woody – 7/15/2012
This year the fun started earlier in late May as a momma and her little one moved into Woody’s old house, which is a burrow under a stacked pile of pine trees 5 feet behind my garden. It began with a few carrot tops missing and culminated with the loss of spinach, peas, kale, broccoli, and even Jerusalem artichokes. I called in the experts this time as my own trapping efforts were getting me nowhere. First morning we had a raccoon, who had been stealing my trap bait of corn and apples. My trap is obviously cheap and worthless. Since the raccoon, we caught two more raccoons, Mama and another baby groundhog. On July 4th, I added some 3 foot chicken fencing to the north side with 1 1/2 feet on the ground and 1 1/2 feet attached to the current fence. This will keep future groundhogs (there will be more) from digging under (crossing my fingers).
Bucky – 6/20/2013Mama caught fleeing the scene outside my garden – 6/21/2013
My long-term plan is to remove the wood either by having the landlord move it or by acquiring a chain saw. The cleared area will make a good place to expand my composting efforts.
Overwintering and collecting seeds
I overwintered several different plants this year, mostly because I wanted early spring produce. Carrots, kale, onions, mache, and turnips all made it back for 2013. I let the kale, mache, and turnips go to seed with a concerted effort to collect the Seven Top turnip green seeds. I ended up with a giant bag of turnip green seeds on 7/14 (more than I’ll ever use), so if you want some, just let me know and I’ll figure out a way to get them to you. I’m still planning to collect tomato and bean seeds for sure, with a possibility of collecting peppers and eggplants this year too.
Seven Top turnip greens flowering with plans to go to seed later.
The Snarky Gardener lists the best vegetables to plant in Northeastern Ohio gardens
I developed this list by asking, “If I was starting a new Northeastern Ohio garden today, what would I plant to guarantee success?” Planting at the right time and place is an important factor in producing an abundance of veggies. Some vegetables can withstand frosts and prefer spring or fall. Others love the heat of July and August. Some can handle some shade where others must have at least 6 hours of sun a day to grow well. All these variables (plus a few more) are noted below.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a garden staple and usually a great success in any garden I’ve ever had. They should be started inside from seed or purchased from a reliable grower. Cherry tomatoes produce a lot and are less picky than other varieties. Most tomato plants (except for Roma varieties) will keep growing until the first frost of the fall (the technical term is indeterminate) and will need extra support . I’ve used 6 foot steel fencing for this purpose as you can also grow peas up them. Plant tomatoes deep so the first primary leaves are touching the soil as the buried stem will put out roots. Tomatoes do need full sun – the more, the merrier.
When to Plant Tomatoes in Northeastern Ohio: around the middle of May after all danger of frost has passed. You can plant determine varieties (like Romas) later in June or even July since they produce all their fruit at once and then die off.
2. Onions
Egyptian Walking Onions. Click here to purchase.
By onions, I mean the bulbs you buy at the garden store and use as either green onions (tops and all) or later as full onions. Perennial onions (like these Egyptian Walking Onions) come back year after year. Onions (and other related plants – garlic, leaks, chives) are also mammal resistant, as deer and rabbits and groundhogs will usually leave them alone.
When to Plant Onion in Northeastern Ohio: These can first be planted in March or April and can be continuously planted through the fall.
3. Beans
Jacob’s Cattle beans can be eaten as green or dry beans. Click here to purchase from the Snarky Gardener.
Easy to grow (once the spring frosts are over) and will help to improve the soil with their nitrogen fixing. They also produce food quickly (under 60 days) so they can be planted later in the season (through the beginning of August here in Ohio). Dry beans, used for soups and chili, are just green beans that have not been picked before the pods are brown (like these Jacob’s Cattle beans). Beans are a favorite food of groundhogs and rabbits though so you’ll need to fence them in if you have either near your garden.
When to Plant Green Beans in Northeastern Ohio: around the middle of May after all danger of frost has passed until August.
4. Zucchini
The Snarky Gardener’s 2014 award winning Sure Thing zucchini
Very prolific, zucchini are always welcome in my garden. I tend to go with the all-female varieties – like Burpee’s Sure Thing Zucchini – because they don’t need to be pollinated by insects to produce fruit. Plant zucchini in mounds with 2 or 3 seeds per mound.
When to Plant Zucchini in Northeastern Ohio: around the end of May after all danger of frost has passed and the ground has warmed up.
5. Potatoes
Planted in spring, potatoes are really easy. Just put in the ground and hill up dirt or mulch (leaves or straw) as the plant itself grows up. Just wait for the plant to die off and then dig up your taters. You will need store bought seed potatoes as grocery store potatoes are usually sprayed with chemicals that keep them from sprouting.
When to Plant Potatoes in Northeastern Ohio: as early as St. Patrick’s Day through June.
Garlic, like potatoes, are super easy. I did find out the hard way, you must split the bulbs up into cloves before planting. But after they are in, you are good to go. Garlic can be strategically planted to help deter critters (deer, rabbits, etc) from eating other crops. Many animals do not like the smell of garlic.
When to Plant Garlic in Northeastern Ohio: mid October to be pulled in July or plant in March/April though this will grow smaller bulbs.
7. Turnips
Seven Top Turnip Greens. Click here to purchase from the Snarky Gardener.
Easy to grow and very nutritious (a so-called “super food”), though the greens are somewhat bitter to eat sometimes (colcannon anyone?). I’ve been going with Seven Top turnips over the last year or so, which are grown mostly for their greens. The standard Purple Top White Globe turnip is also good for it’s greens, though you do have to worry about the roots getting tough and dried out as the summer temperatures spike. Turnips prefer cool weather and can be sown in early spring or fall and will overwinter (and then promptly go to seed if not harvested in time). They can also handle partial shade. As for pests, I have found turnips to be relatively pest free from both mammals and insects.
When to Plant Turnips in Northeastern Ohio: March through May and then again in August and October.
8. Carrots
Carrots are an issue for some gardens as rocky or clay soil can make for forked roots. Red Cored Chantenay is the 6 inch variety I commonly grow that’s just perfect for Northeast Ohio’s clay soil. They also overwinter well, coming back up for a special spring treat. The tops are loved by fuzzy animals, both mammals and caterpillars.
When to Plant Carrots in Northeastern Ohio: April to August.
9. Peas
Think of peas like green beans (they fix nitrogen) for the spring and fall. They can be planted as early as St. Patrick’s day in Northeastern Ohio. And like green beans, they are loved by bunnies and groundhogs, so you’ll need to fence the peas in and the rodents out. Also, they are tasty right off the vine, so there’s a chance they never make it back to the kitchen.
When to Plant Peas in Northeastern Ohio: March through May and then again in August and September.
10. Kale
Kale is a relative to cabbage and broccoli but easier to grow. Red Russian kale seems to be a winner as I know several other local gardeners who also raise it. You’ll need to keep an eye out for little green worms as they love kale.
When to Plant Kale in Northeastern Ohio: April through September.
11. Spinach / Swiss Chard
I tossed spinach and Swiss chard in because they are some of my favorite “super foods”. I like them better than most other greens (including lettuce and kale). Both are a little hard to get started and spinach will bolt (go to seed) once the weather gets hot (but loves the cool). Also, spinach and Swiss chard can handle some shade, so if you have at least 2 to 3 hours of sunlight a day, you’re good to go.
When to Plant Spinach in Northeastern Ohio: April / May and again in August/September.
When to Plant Swiss Chard in Northeastern Ohio: April through August.
Note – “plantmanity” is like humanity but with plants.
May and June have been tough on my gardening nerves. May gave us several frosty low temperature nights (including a hard freeze on 5/24/2013). The pots and leaf mulch came out to cover tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Unfortunately, the coverings weren’t enough for some and those plants didn’t make it (cue the violin music). I lost 5 or 6 tomato plants plus 3 eggplants. A few of my potatoes also got frozen but they have grown back since. Fortunately, I hadn’t planted my peppers yet, since they seem to do better when planted after the weather has warmed up (think June). Also, the Snarky Gardener has been overzealous this season with plant starts, so replacements have readily available. All in all, not a complete disaster but I will consider this next spring when starting and planting my tender little friends.
Frosted Tomatoes (how sad) – 5/25/2013
On May 31st, my dog River and I discovered some furry friends in the garden. I had this issue last year, but it took me a week or two before figuring out that I had a groundhog. Half my corn crop, not to mention my spinach, my carrots, my cucumber vines, and various other tasty treats were lost before trapping the little basta . . . . critter (aka Woody). This year, I noticed some of my carrots had been nibbled down (both inside and outside my fence), but I really knew I had a problem when I saw the tiniest little guy scurrying from the garden into the stacked up logs behind the garden. Bucky (yes, I named him Bucky) was so small he could run straight through my 2″ X 4″ fencing without skipping a beat. A few days later, we noticed a second, much bigger groundhog (I named her Mamma), who had dug under the fence to get in for the free buffet. I currently have a trap set up inside the fence near that opening with delicious apples and corn as bait. So far I’ve lost a little spinach, all my broccoli, all my Tuscan kale, some carrot tops, and lots of peas plants. On 6/4/2013, I picked all the spinach just to be safe. It was starting to bolt anyways, so I’d rather eat it then have fuzzy little creatures make a salad with it.
Broccoli after groundhogs got done with it – 6/5/2013Here piggy piggy – 6/4/2013. (That’s comfrey in the foreground.)Woody the Groundhog – captured 7/15/2012. He’s in a better place now.
Last spring, I tried to “upgrade” the front yard area that is up against my house by putting down wood mulch and walking stones over the sandy, rocky mess that was there. The site faces south west with a big oak tree directly to the south, so it only receives full sun 1 hour between noon and 1 PM and then again 4 PM to sunset. I purchased two kinds of mint starts (spearmint and chocolate mint) and planted them in my backyard garden. Then (of course) I read an article about how invasive mint can be, and before I knew it, I was moving it. The front yard area seemed perfect, figuring between the shade and the borders (driveway, walkway, and house) it wouldn’t escape (we’ll see).
Over the winter, I did some Internet research to find other shade herbs (with a preference for perennials) and came up with a short list – chives, thyme, parsley, chervil, cilantro and lemon balm. I planted lemon balm last year in the backyard garden, and there were some small volunteers growing around it that I moved to the front. I picked the shadiest spot (right up against my porch) for it. Between plant swaps, AeroGardens, and extra cilantro seed, I was able to fill out the rest of this small shaded garden in no time.
Front Yard Herb Shade Garden – 5/21/2013. From left to right – spearmint, chocolate mint, lemon thyme, cilantro (close to the wall in a line), chives, and lemon balm.Front Yard Herb Shade Garden – 5/21/2013. From left to right – spearmint, chocolate mint, lemon thyme, and chives.Front Yard Herb Shade Garden from the side – 6/5/2013Front Yard Herb Shade Garden – 2/9/2013Front Yard Herb Shade Garden – 5/21/2013
With spring in full force, my thoughts have turned to tomatoes and basil starts as I’ve been trading and selling them. The Kent Community TimeBank has given me an outlet for them where I don’t need to worry about the exchange of money. The truth of the matter is plant starts represent mostly time as they have to be treated like infants so the KCTB seems to be appropriate. The basil has been more popular than I would have ever imagined, so I’ll make an effort next year to produce more.
On 5/12/2013, I attended the Foods Not Lawns Cleveland plant swap. I traded 4 tomato starts (1 Mega Cherry cutting from my AeroGarden and 3 Sweet 100 Cherry starts). In return, I received two Chocolate Cherry tomatoes, two Long Purple eggplants, and a whole bunch of comfrey plants. Comfrey is useful as a nutrient mulch because it accumulates minerals well. Just chop it down a few times a year and put the leaves in your compost or around your heavy feeders (tomatoes, corn, broccoli, etc). Who needs to buy chemical fertilizer? Not this Snarky Gardener.
The AeroGardens have been producing well, giving me Jalapeno peppers, basil, cutting celery, parsley, and tomato cuttings (for starts). The Mega Cherry tomatoes are just getting ripe, and will be eaten seconds after they are ready. I will be saving the seeds from the red pepper to see if I can get them to grow. Practice makes perfect when it comes to seed saving. I tried to save the seeds from a green one, but they never spouted. I should have better luck with the riper Jalapeno.
Mega Cherry tomatoes – 5/7/2013Jalapeno peppers and Thai basil – 5/7/2013
Of course, with all these starts running around, I planted 6 in late April and early May to get some from under my feet (even with a chance of frost still possible). This chance became reality on 5/13/2013 and 5/14/2013 as temperatures fell into to low 30’s overnight. Overturned pots became makeshift protectors inside the steel fence tomato cages. I did lose one Sweet 100 Cherry tomato plant as the pot I covered it with was too thin and holey. Luckily I have more plants where that came from.
On 5/12/2013, the first of the potato leaves poked their heads out (and were promptly frosted). I’ve been checking on them from time to time, finding a few that turned rotten. I’m not sure if this was caused by using the leaf mulch (it’s pretty wet in places) or the potatoes themselves, but I pulled any that didn’t look good. Fortunately the Snarky Gardener is smart enough to have extra potatoes that he didn’t plant the first time, so those will fill in any open spots.
Potatoes sprouting up from leaf mulch – 5/12/2013Potatoes coming up by my kale – 5/17/2013
This blog post is pretty much just for me. My dog River, a 5 year old Toy Fox Terrier (named after River Tam in Firefly/Serenity), is a constant garden companion. Half the reason I have the garden fence is to give her a place to roam and play without escaping into the wild. Being a terrier, she loves two things: digging and rodents. Fortunately, there are plenty of both out there. She caught a mouse just last week that was hiding the leaf mulch (poor little guy). I do have to be careful when planting because she will dig stuff up if the soil is fresh (fresh soil = mice in her mind). So I have been trying a technique of planting with just a little digging and letting her finish the hole up. Later, I put the plants in when she’s not present.
After several days of warmer weather (70’s) and rain in the middle of April, my garden finally started jumping up. The spinach I had planted in March under 2-liter bottles have spouted. My Oregon Snow Peas are also popping out of the ground (I thought they were goners with the long cold early spring). But the real surprise was my overwintered Red Russian kale. I even took them off my garden plan as they didn’t look good in late February and early March. With the warm sun and then rain, they have really perked up.
Red Russian kale – 4/13/2013Spinach sprouts among the leaves – 4/13/2013
It also looks like I’ll be collecting Seven Top turnip seeds as they are sending up flowers. I let them go last fall thinking I could eat them this spring but forgot all about whole biannual thing. I had enough greens to eat one meal, but I’ll let the plants use the rest of their strength to make babies.
Seven Top Turnip Greens going to seed – 4/27/2013Seven Top Turnip Greens going to seed – 4/27/2013Seven Top Turnip Greens going to seed – 4/27/2013
On 4/27/2013, I planted the first of my many tomato plants (four Sweet 100 Cherry plants) inside the cages in “Tomato Row”. I’m a little early (or am I?) but the 10-day forecast looked good plus they were getting root bound. I also planted the only mini pepper that grew from the seeds I started (sigh). I have a pepper-producing AeroGarden mini Jalapeno that I may plant outside plus a mystery pepper I received from Amishland Seeds with my Amish Paste tomato seeds. And I have a plant swap with Food Not Lawns Cleveland in a few weeks, so hopefully my pepper population will be increased over this one lonely plant.
Full garden view taken from the south – 4/27/2013Caged Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes and Sugar Snap Peas – 5/4/2013Planted Fenced Backyard Garden Plan- 4/30/2013
In April, I joined the Kent Community TimeBank. The KCTB is an organization that allows for the trading of services between community members using a simple yet cool website. So far I’ve given 2 hours of weeding to one member and received strawberry plants (which I planted in the northwest corner on 4/27) and compost from two other members. The time bank allows me to use my gardening talents in the local community while receiving other valuable services (I’m looking at you, dog groomers, graphic designers, and equipment renters). The best part is I’m getting in better physical shape without those pesky gym memberships.
Strawberry plants a Kent Community TimeBank member delivered on 4/27/2013
On 4/10/2013, as I looked down the plastic jug holes, little leaves finally sprouted! From the looks of the leaves and the jug itself (the pink plastic ring on the top), they are kohlrabi and Swiss chard. This wasn’t planted back on 3/22/2013, but one I prepped later on 3/28. You will notice the spray bottle in the picture. It’s my secret weapon (don’t tell anyone) to watering once the jugs are sealed up. The WinterSown.org instructions say to take the duct tape off to water, but that sounded like a lot of work. I just spray water in from the top, thus not disturbing the seeds nor over watering.
Kohlrabi and Swiss chard winter sown on 3/28/2013Kohlrabi (clover shaped at the top) and Swiss chard seedlings – 4/13/2013Kohlrabi (clover shaped at the top) and Swiss chard seedlings – 4/13/2013
The other jugs are also making progress, though not as much as this first one. The Apiacea (or Umbelliferae) family jug (carrots, cilantro, celery, and chervil) is almost totally barren, but I’m not surprised as these usually takes longer to germinate than others. If you look closely though, you can see a little green at the top of the picture, but since they are all the same family, I’m not sure which plant it is. The Snarky Gardener will taste them later to see who is who. If it tastes like licorice, it’s the chervil. Cilantro and celery are very distinct tasting also.
Snarky Gardener fact: they are known as Umbelliferae because their flowers spread out like little umbrellas (think Queen Anne’s lace).
Carrots, cilantro, celery, and chervil – 4/13/2013
The broccoli, leek, echinacea, and carrot below are still at a standstill, though you can see a few broccoli poking their little heads out at the top of the picture. Seeds from the Brassicaceae family (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard, kale, radishes, and turnips) tend to sprout pretty quickly, with radishes being one of the first to develop (ready to eat in 3 to 4 weeks).
![IMG_20130924_200654[1]](http://snarkygardener.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/img_20130924_2006541.jpg?resize=382%2C287 "Tomato Seed Saving technique")
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![IMG_20130712_172905[1]](http://snarkygardener.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/img_20130712_1729051.jpg?resize=461%2C614)
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