Finally got rain (really rained not just a sprinkle) this past weekend and more rain today in the forecast. Grounds getting a good soaking. Plants are happy and the brown patches on my lawn should, hopefully, disappear this week.
Dug in all the Duganski Garlic and German White Garlic from the garden.
The above is a pile of the freshly dug Duganski Garlic.
Below photo: Garlic all bundled and hanging in the shed to dry and cure (I keep the shed door open during the day for ventilation).
Left Bundle: Duganski Garlic. Middle & Right Bundles: German White Garlic. Peeking out at the upper right corner are the German Red from container.
The heads of both the Duganski and the German White are not as large as last years and I think it has to do with location. The soil in the location they were planted this time is not as loose and well drained as the previous location. Need to give them a better location the next planting.
∗ ∗ ∗
The tops of both the Adirondack Red Potatoes and the All Blue Potatoes died earlier in the month of July and the yield was poor for both varieties.
According to Cornell University Potatoes Growing Guide, potatoes perform best where summers are cool (65° F to 70° F). We have been experiencing prolonged heat wave, (high 80° F and 90+° F) could this be the reason for the vines dying early resulting in poor yield?
The vines of the Fingerling Potatoes planted in the same section of the garden, however, is still growing strong, why? The Blue Fingerling Potatoes I planted in container are also still growing well. Perhaps Fingerlings are hardier and more adaptable? Will harvest both when the vines die.
Left: Adirondack Red Potatoes. Right: All Blue Potatoes.
Most of the potatoes are small, good for roasting or boiling whole. Click here for cross sections of both potatoes
∗ ∗ ∗
Dug in all the onion also. Got a few decent size onions but most are small, a good harvest compare to previous years. Still trying to figure out why I am able to grow leeks and garlic but not onions.
A poor onion harvest
The 2 onions in the center front (above photo) each weighs a bit under 4 ounces (they are the largest), a best for me, next year I just may produce properly sized onions, there is hope!
The onions on the right are very small, like pearl onions. Wonder if they will keep well until next spring for use as onion sets, or, what if I plant them now, how will they grow? Think I will plant half and save half.
∗ ∗ ∗
The Red Noodle Long Beans are loving this heat and grew by leaps and bounds.
Red Noodles Long Beans
Should be harvesting those beans and many more this week.
∗ ∗ ∗
The Green Chinese Long Beans are not producing yet. But setting lots of flowers so beans should be following soon.
Green Chinese Long Beans
The flowers are usually in pairs so are the beans, looking for harvest this week.
Click here to learn more about Chinese Long Beans and recipes.
∗ ∗ ∗
The sweet potatoes are loving this heat also, the vines are taking over a lot of garden real estate. Should cut some of the vines for use in cooking. Click here to learn about cooking Sweet Potato Vines/leaves.
A Section of the Purple Sweet Potato Patch
Hope many tubers are setting underground. Am tempted to dig around but know it is much too early and must wait until at least the end of this month.
∗ ∗ ∗
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
The fence is to keep the deer away from my mountain laurels.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Copyright © by Norma Chang. All Rights Reserved. Do not use/repost any photos and/or articles without permission.
Do visit Dave at Our Happy Acres for more Harvest Monday
Garden to Wok 
What did you do with all the garlic?? Those potatoes are absolutely gorgeous! A great harvest, Norma.
Hello Angie,
Once the garlic are all dried and cured I will cut away the tops, leaving about 1 inch, and roots, clean the bulb, and store for use throughout the winter and until next harvest.
Hi Norma, I really enjoy following your blog and especially reading your harvest Monday posts. Your recipes also look very enticing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 🙂
Hello Ngeun,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment, I am happy to learn that you enjoy my blog posts.
Onions are biennials so they want to flower their second year. When I’ve accidentally left an onion in the garden it produces a bit of foliage in the fall or the following spring but doesn’t get bigger.
Hello Mary,
Thanks, I will skip my experiment and enjoy the tiny onions instead.
So glad you got some much needed rain! My potatoes did not do well this year and I blame our early heat. I got my first Red Noodle beans yesterday, and it looks like yours will be ready soon. And your sweet potato vines are lovely!
Hello Dave,
Today’s predicted rain never arrive, too bad as we could surely use more rain. It seems a number of gardeners had poor potato harvest this year.
I’ve dug up most of my died-off potatoes as well with small yield and small potatoes. Too bad, but I can’t complain about the yummy baby potatoes we’ll both be eating soon! .
Beautiful sweet potato vines! Mine are not doing well but it was an experiment here – I don’t really have the right growing season for them.
Hello Susie,
Not a good potato year, but yes, those baby potatoes were yummy. I hope you find a sweet potato variety suitable for your growing season.
It’s too bad we can’t swap alliums, I can’t grow leeks or garlic but onions for the most part do great, although I’m still searching for bolt resistant varieties. I can’t grow long beans either, they don’t like my cool climate. Those potatoes sure are pretty even if they aren’t up to expectations.
Hello Michelle,
Will starting the long beans indoors earlier help?
I’m glad your finally got a good rain. Your garlic looks great and so do those potatoes. I’ve never been able to grow potatoes here, our springs are too hot. I wonder about planting potatoes in August so they’ll mature in the fall, hmmm.
Hello Phuong,
The rain predicted for today never arrived, too bad. Have you tried growing fingerlings? They seem to be less fussy about weather.
Hooray for rain! I tend to have problems growing potatoes here because of the heat. I just cooked sweet potato leaves for the first time this past week and they were fabulous! They are now my favorite summer green.
Hello B & B,
Glad you liked the sweet potato leaves, the nutritional value is very high. How did you prepare them?
Norma, that is a lovely harvest of garlic, potatoes, and onions.
Hello Lou,
Thanks, though not as bountiful as last year, still a good and lovely harvest.
I know you say your harvest isn’t as bountiful as last year, but it looks lovely to me. I have one tomato…that’s it other than my usual herbs. We have had lots of rain issues here, too.
Hello Betsy,
Thanks. Hope you get a few more tomatoes. We are still having drought and heat wave, it is really bad, but could be worse.
What a fantastic harvest, Norma, and all done while you’ve been under the weather. You should be very proud. My Lucifer didn’t return this year. I really like them and will plant more next spring. I miss that pop of red in that flower bed. 🙂
Hello John,
Those crops were planted months ago all I did was gather the end results. Hope your Lucifer return next year.
The garlic looks wonderful, Norma. You could set up a little stand at the end of the driveway and sell them. Ontario Heirloom garlic goes for $5 a head!!!! We have also had very hot and humid weather. The plants in the garden would love it if we would water more but we don’t have an irrigation system yet and it’s such a pain particularly when we are away at the cottage so much (we plan to get one installed next year). The potatoes look wonderful.
Hello Eva,
$5.00 for a head of heirloom garlic? I could make a bundle with my heirlooms 🙂 You got to plant some in container next year, tutorial coming soon.