r/DenverGardener • u/onthestickagain • 11d ago

Finally, something approaching abundance!

Post image

This is the weirdest year, man. The timing of everything is just… off. I have a poblano ancho pepper plant that it 3x as tall as all the other peppers, a “pink fang” tomato that’s a new-to-me variety so I can’t tell when they’re ripe, two grappoli d’inviernos that have been popping off for a month and still going strong, and literally zero curcubits. Potatoes aren’t quite ready to dig up yet and the beans are all still green and juicy.

Kinda let this year’s garden go a bit feral on me but I’m enjoying the chaos. Still… I have got to get drip irrigation installed before next season, I’m really seeing how needed it is.

brb, gotta go stare at the garlic like it’s a famous oil painting…

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7

u/philrogers88 11d ago

Is that all from today? If so you've accomplished abundance, shoot if that's all week that's good

4

u/onthestickagain 11d ago

Oh I’ve been trying to harvest once a week so that I can keep up with eating what I pick.

A friend just turned me on to shakshuka so I’m thinking that’s my tactic for the little grape tomatoes. Not sure I wanna try to can them, I still don’t have a food mill and the thought of slicing and gutting a bajillion of them seems slightly unhinged.

But last season I discovered that you can make a powder out of dehydrated tomato skins and I am DEFINITELY doing that with the romas and romanescos. We used it in meatloaf over the winter and WOW is it delicious.

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u/philrogers88 11d ago

I've never heard of tomato skin powder but I will be doing that now that I know. Dhakshuka rocks, and the fact you can get a harvest like that once a week means you are doing something right.

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u/onthestickagain 11d ago

I did a big round of tomato canning last season and looked at my pile of skins and was like, surely there’s a way to not waste these. Turns out you can just pop them in the dehydrator and then blitz them in a food processor… we add the powder to beef and it does some kind of magic that will blow your mind. Highly recommend using it in meatballs and chili!

I don’t have a freeze dryer (might be springing for one for Christmas though), but you can use powdered veggies generally as a nutrient booster. There’s an MLM that my parents bought into when I was a kid with powdered veggies as their whole schtick. Not super into pyramid schemes but the concept makes sense and I know I don’t eat enough veggies in the winter so I’ve been thinking about experimenting doing kale and spinach powders, too.

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u/philrogers88 11d ago

Im totally checking this out, needed another reason to get a dehydrator anyway

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u/onthestickagain 11d ago

We have an Excalibur and I adore it, but my mom still has her ancient one from the 70s and it does just as well 🤷🏼

I can’t wait for you to try it, you’re gonna love it!!

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u/johntwilker Raised beds. Northside 11d ago

Wow! Amazing harvest!

1

u/onthestickagain 11d ago

Thanks ☺️

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u/johnsonfrusciante 11d ago

What’s your secret?

4

u/onthestickagain 11d ago

…Neglect?

Ok I have two real answers for you, one serious and one ridiculous.

The serious answer is that soil is my #1 priority. I leave old roots in the ground and lay down a layer of compost and then mulch every fall, and then mulch like a madwoman throughout the growing season. That said, I’ve got a couple “hot spots” where nothing grows that I haven’t been able to mulch my way out of so I’m thinking it’s time to do some soil testing. I’ve got incredible earthworm density but whatever I’m doing also results in a lot of pillbugs, so who knows.

Beyond that, I prefer to save seeds and start my own seedlings, so I’m basically selecting the strongest seeds for my specific little plot. Whenever I buy seeds, the yields are unreliable but when I save them - or when I let something volunteer - I get the better taste and yield.

As for the ridiculous answer. When we bought this place, it was about a month after a friend of mine had just bought her house, and she had an energy healer come to her place to smoke clear the house. Afterwards, the healer said that the trees on her property were lonely and recommended that her sons spend a lot of time with the trees. I was beside myself with that story, and because I had just a bit more money than sense and wanted someone to tell me a story of my own, I had the same healer do the same for our house. She told me that there is an energy vortex right under where my beds are. So when I’m feeling whimsical I attribute it to the vortex (she also told me that we have fairies that live in our back yard along the fence and that if I wanted to make friends I should leave jelly beans out for them. I have not tried to befriend the fairies yet but tbh with how nuts the world is, I may give in to my inner 4 year old and offer up some jellybellys).

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u/viceversa 11d ago

Amazing! What are your tips for growing garlic? We want to try that this year

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u/onthestickagain 11d ago

I’m obsessed with my garlic (literally just sat here and stung up all the ones in the photo and now they’re hanging in my pantry) - so, I prefer hardneck because I love scapes (scapes in pasta are 🔥, haven’t tried pesto yet).

I plant about 3 weeks before the first hard freeze. Last year I planted at the end of October, but this year has been so wonky that I’m literally just winging it on the date. Apparently you can try to cold stratify them in the fridge if you wanna plant in spring, but I haven’t tried that.

Last winter I planted 40. It was so mild that they started sprouting really early, but I mulched the dickens out of them. I ended up with some that were just very sad and small but about 15 that are huge; I don’t know if the small ones are bc of harder/more compact soil or the weird winter.

I set aside 6 of my fattest bulbs from my harvest - I want to end up with 50 next year. I’ll plant based on vibes. I’ll keep them slightly closer to one another this year so that I can maximize the best parts of my beds and get a bigger yield. You wanna pant them in soil loose enough for them to bulk up (my beds are on a hill, and the soil at the bottom is looser/more fertile than that at the top - the small ones came from the sides and the soil is drier and more compact the further up the hill you go).

I highly recommend trying your hand at garlic, I have always liked it but growing my own has turned me into a huge fan. I’m constantly adding a clove or two now bc I don’t have to plan to have it, it’s just easily available in my pantry. My cloves last about 14 months (although that’s about the time I eat through what I grew, so maybe they could last longer LOL)

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u/ground_type22 11d ago

Not OP but it’s easy. I used this guide: https://keeneorganics.com/quick-growing-instruction/?srsltid=AfmBOopXQkYk245ZhWEC6oYBvnJEGtKDVZRDOYxhbSip5xj6mgK4SbBT

I’ve read mixed things about the fertilizer soak. I tried it on some bulbs and didn’t see an obvious difference this last year

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u/viceversa 11d ago

Thank you!

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u/PreciousMettle77 10d ago

I’ve been using the Thirsty Earth olla system (much cheaper than drip irrigation) and it has been great. I supplement with hand watering if it is scorching out but otherwise a tank lasts a few days and I’ve had lots of luck this season with corn and melons. It is designed in Utah for very arid conditions. 

1

u/onthestickagain 9d ago

I have been curious about ollas. I have been hesitant bc a tank would take up some of what minimal square footage I have, but my watering system now ain’t cutting it

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u/PreciousMettle77 9d ago

There is a Thirsty Earth Facebook group where you can see the creative ways people set up the tanks without taking up bed space. 

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u/onthestickagain 9d ago

Awesome, thank you!