What are you trying that is new to you this year in the garden?

[Joel_BC]

Looks like the Rat Tails have broken ground! How exciting!

"Rat Tails"?

 

[Denim Deb]

I guess the rest of the rat is underground.

 

[Britesea]

LOL! Sorry, I thought I had explained what they were before-- Rat's Tail Radishes are a form of radish that doesn't form a bulbous root, instead it blooms and forms seed pods which I guess resemble rat tails- They are used in Asian stir fries, and were popular in America in the 1800's. I wanted to try them because I love the flavor of radishes and this way I can enjoy them all summer long.

 

[BillSchi]

I am trying Kohlrabi, squash, cukes, Zucchini a variety of peppers, eggplant. This year is the first time I tried raised beds.
I am new to the thought of self sufficiency. Although I participated in gardening and butchering when I was young.

 

[Britesea]

When you say "raised beds" are you talking about framed grow beds? I've learned that some people mean just a heap of soil that is taller than the pathways, others mean an actual frame of wood or other material that holds the soil within. I prefer the second type myself- less trouble with erosion. I also like to attach a piece of 1/2" hardware cloth to the bottom of the frame before I fill it; I don't ever want to watch my carrots and lettuce disappear into the ground because a gopher is underneath again!

I've been curious about kohlrabi, but haven't grown any because I'm not sure how to use it.

 

[BillSchi]

Britesea,
I built 7 boxes 39"x75" that are 10-12" tall. I made them the size of twin beds so I can cover them if hail is in the forecast or the frost hits us early.
I have a cat the patrols our yard constantly. She reminds us how well she is doing by leaving her victims at our doorstep.
kohlrabi is good, has a unique flavor all it's own. If you plant one, you woeld wish you had planted more at harvest time.
I will try and remember to post a picture tomorrow.

 

[Hinotori]

We used three 8' 2x12s to make each of our raised beds. One on each side and cut one in half to do each end. Then we just screwed them together. It's been over a year now since we did the first ones and they are holding up just fine. Other than color weathering, no changes to them at all.

 

[Britesea]

When I moved from California, the raised beds I had there were 10 years old. The only maintenance I had to do was at about 8 years, the hardware cloth finally rusted enough that the gophers started getting into the beds again, so we dug each bed out and added new screens and refilled them.
They were made of redwood, the ones I have now are cedar because we can't get redwood anymore.

BillSchi, we had cats also, and they did patrol fairly well... but our gophers figured out that they could come up into the beds from below, and pull the plants down without ever exposing themselves to the cats-- that's why we started using the screens.
How do you cook your kohlrabi? boiled, steamed, sauteed?

 

[BillSchi]

I have never cooked Kohlrabi. I just peel and eat it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Good to know, Britesea. Thanks for the update.