What did you do in the garden today?

[NH Homesteader]

How do you cook it? Is it a cabbage? Pardon my ignorance, it's not in my cooking repertoire!

 

[Beekissed]

How do you cook it? Is it a cabbage? Pardon my ignorance, it's not in my cooking repertoire!

It's a type of Chinese cabbage but doesn't really taste like cabbage, IME. It has a mild flavor much like a lettuce or spinach and the stems have a great crunch, like celery, so it's like having a spinach and celery in one plant but better than both.

We like it raw in salads and we eat a lot of salads here, so I grow plenty and harvest while it's smaller and more tender~about 6-8 in. tall. I'm not one for cooking of greens, but all things I've read says it cooks up great, is used in a lot of Chinese stir fry dishes.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/pak-choi

 

[NH Homesteader]

I will have to try that!

 

[Beekissed]

It definitely gives my gardening esteem a boost after this dismal year...it grows quick, it's pretty, easy to pick, delicious and good for you.

 

[Mini Horses]

I finally tilled the remainder of my 50ft round. Might not sound like much but, let me tell you -- I am NOT done and the grass I had to hand collect was huge. It's wild grass Between rain and work and other chores, this grass is out of hand!! I'm ranting but not really complaining as I have grazing animals....just not enough of them apparently.

This is tilled to first level....the big piles and 4X3 cart full of grass picked up. There is more grass to get up

!

The grass clumps will be dumped in a pasture low spot. That grass grows, not matter what!! So, I expect some rain wash off of what dirt is left on, some rot, some growth. Have to finish the tilling tomorrow, so I can plant collards, etc. Heavy outside work load next week, so a must do by Sunday night! We shall see....

I DO KNOW that a hot shower and early to bed will be the plan for tonight! I'm filthy but the ground smells soooo good out there. Oh, those are my limas on the big green wall. I picked a small bucket of those today, too. And pulled deck off mower, switched out blades & will re-mount deck next week. Best left off when pulling tiller. Tomorrow more of same. Gotta go close coops!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh, those are my limas on the big green wall.

Nice - I've tried for years to grow limas... no go here. Maybe I should plant the climbing ones instead of bush ones?

And pulled deck off mower, switched out blades & will re-mount deck next week.

Ugh... just ugh!

 

[Mini Horses]

Hope to get final tilling done today!! 9 PM in bed last night & I haven't done that in years. Woke at 6:30 & up -- coffee and Absorbine Jr on lower back. Feeling pretty good right now. Have to get gas first -- mower & tiller needs that.
All I can say is that I REALLY must want these Fall plantings because I am working my butt off to get it done

My hope is that it will be a lot easier for Spring. I see a huge truckload of cardboard in my near future!!! figure that will be really rotted by Spring & I won't have all the grass roots to deal with. Well, sounds good, anyway.

@baymule uses cardboard.......how does that work for you the next season? Better/easier to till, etc.? Mine can't be worse, I know that. Do you find less sand with all the chips you have added? If I could send you some of my pasture grass we would BOTH love it!!!!!!

 

[baymule]

I don't till. I disced the garden up, heck the first year, we dug it up with the FEL and dug out briar roots, weeds and all sorts of stuff. I ran the disc over it the first year. We raised pigs in the garden the second winter and I ran the disc in after taking the pigs out to smooth out the craters they dug.

Now I don't till. The areas that have cardboard are more weed free than other places in the garden. It is not a perfect system, especially with a new garden. For the end of season weeds, I just turn the sheep in. We found a source of cardboard and hopefully can put cardboard over the whole garden this fall. Pile mulch on it and we'll see what happens.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well this area is not large enough for the tractor & disc, so have to till. I'd like to not have to till it as much since it is round there are some tight areas. I will be getting a good amount of large boxes in next couple of weeks. Plan to leave them out all winter & mulch heavy in Spring.

Tractor & disc will be used in a pasture I want to re-work & re-plant. The root base of some of this grass is planning to make this farm their "forever home" !! And thick stuff.

Re-tilled, removed root/grass clumps, repeat!! Almost 90 degrees, NO breeze, sweating and covered in dirt!!! 2:30 I quit, feeling pretty well done (me & garden!), went for a shower. I looked like I had rolled in that darned dirt.
I was embarrassed at me and I was there alone!

Those air conditioned, fully stocked grocery stores are sounding good! No wonder city folk use them.

 

[Hinotori]

I cut out a big chunk of wild roses, grasses, and barbed wire. Digging the wire out of the ground sucks and there is still more.

Then we got the 600 pound chunk of granite out of the ground and onto a pallet so we can drag it out