Showing posts with label bitter melon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bitter melon. Show all posts

Saturday, June 11, 2016

2016 season is starting off with a bang!


The MVG is growing nicely. The green beans have sprouted. The green bean plants are also flowering and will be producing green beans soon.

We replanted green beans seeds to fill in the holes.


We have added a few more veggies plants to the garden.
cantaloupe, okra, jalapeno - March 25th
cantaloupe, okra, jalapeno - June 8th
The corn seeds have pushed through the soil and reaching for the skies. We also adorned the corn bed with a nice watermelon plant to keep them friendly.


Bitter melon has persistently grown well in the MVG. This years bitter melon are no different. All of the seeds have sprouted. We also had a volunteer bitter melon sprout this year. Once the bitter melon reaches the nets, we will begin adding in our friendly bug eaters to help keep the garden clean and clear of pests.

bitter melon in the garden bed
bitter melon in a pot

Monday, July 14, 2014

The MVG main garden is loving the warm humid weather!

MVG Main Garden July 14, 2014
The main garden is growing out of control this summer. The warm humid weather and a few applications of Burpee's Sea Magic organic growth activator gave all the plants an extra boost.

July 2nd harvest - bell peppers
July 8th harvest - green beans, cucumber, & sugar snaps
My mom harvests handfuls of beans and sugar snaps and baskets full of cucumbers and green peppers on a weekly basis.

July 11th harvest - cucumbers, bell pepper, and squash
July 11th harvest - sugar snaps
We have begun trimming back the herbs. Hanging them upside down on pant hangers allows the leaves to dry without curling up or folding in half.
July 2nd harvest - sage and oregano
So far my mom has blanched and froze 6 1/2 quart Ziploc bags of green beans and made two jars of Mom's Pickles. She will soon be canning Bread and Butter Pickles in the next few weeks too.

french fillet and blue lake blanched and frozen
Mom's Pickles
I treated our kitties to a few catnip bundles. They love to hug the bundle while rolling around on the ground. The bundles last for weeks too. All you need to do is roll the catnip bundle in your hands to reactive the oils.

catnip bundle
There are many other veggies joining the main garden's weekly harvest. The okra, bitter melon, and squash are sprinkled into the harvest baskets while the melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, and eggplant continue to grow and flower.

bitter melon
melons
tomatoes

okra
summer squash
Fuyu is growing strong. There are lots of new branches, large green leaves, and a few fruit dangling from the tree.
Fuyu has a few persimmons growing too!
It is amazing to see how fast the garden has filled-in over the past few months. Check out our before and after shots below:
July 2nd - pumpkin patch
July 14th - pumpkin patch
Behind the garden beds - (front to back) squash (left), cucumbers (right), and melons.

June 11th  - squash, cucumber, & melons
July 2nd - squash, cucumber, & melons
July 14th - squash, cucumbers, and melons
Second garden bed row: (front to back) thai basil in pot/ sugar snaps and green beans/ okra and tomatoes/ bitter melon.

June 11th - sugar snaps and green beans
July 2nd - sugar snaps and green beans
July 14th - sugar snaps and green beans
Front garden bed row: (front to back) lemon grass and lavender in pots; green beans; bell peppers and eggplant.

July 2nd - green beans and bell peppers
July 14th - green beans and bell peppers

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Hot weather brings big veggies!


July 6th - biggest harvest of the season
We had a major heat wave pass through the Morrison Victory Garden. The heat brought lots of growth to the plants and also helped produce extra large veggies.  Additionally, I had to break out my big wicker basket to hold the larger harvests. So far, our largest harvest of the 2013 summer season includes 5 zucchini, over a dozen summer squash, over a dozen cucumbers, 10 okra, and a basket full of green beans.


The cucumbers and the summer squash endured a major growth spurt during the heat wave. I have included a side by side comparison of each vegetable. The smallest veggie is the regular size and can help you estimate the size of the extra large veggies. I don't want you to think I left the veggies on the vine for weeks either. I pick veggies every three to four days. I think the combination of super soaking the veggies a few days ago and our 90 degree temperatures helped increase the size of these two veggies.


The tomatoes are doing very well. All three plants have filled the tomato supports and are holding dozens of green oblong tomatoes.

Crescent Moon eggplant
Purple Rain eggplant
Nadia eggplant
The eggplants and bitter melon are showing of a variety of colors and textures. By August, both plants will be filled with ripe veggies for soups, stirfrys, and BBQs.

Bitter Melon
The ears of corn are plump and are showcasing brown strands of silk. It won't be long now. Depending on the size of the kernels I might start picking corn within the next two weeks.


Even the sweet peppers are enjoying the heat. We are proud of our Big Daddy plant. This is the largest pepper to have dangled off of a branch in the MVG. WOW!

Big Daddy Pepper
Due to our large bi-weekly cucumber harvests, my mom canned dill pickles on 4th of July. Ten quart-size mason jars were sterilized, packed, and filled with yummy dill pickle goodness. I cannot wait to try them out next year. Yum!

canned dill pickles
The hot weather has subsided but we hope the warmth will return soon. We definitely like the increase in the size of the harvests and the size of the veggies.

Herb row (L-R): Sage, Oregano, and Rosemary

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Let the 2013 summer season officially begin!

The seeds have sprouted and flowers are beginning to show themselves to the world. I am very excited for the Morrison Victory Garden's 2013 summer season. We have the following planted and growing in various sections of the MVG.

IN THE FIELD
Illini Xtra Sweet Corn

corn is almost as tall as Solo
IN THE MAIN GARDEN
Supremo Cucumbers
Pic-N-Pic Summer Squash
French Filet Stringless Beans
SuperSauce Tomatoes
Fairytale Eggplant
Purple Rain Eggplant
Crescent Moon Eggplant
Cherry Stuffer Peppers (sweet)
Block Party Peppers (sweet)
Big Daddy Peppers (sweet)
Lady Bell Peppers (sweet)
Cheyenne Peppers (spicy)
Biker Billy Peppers (spicy)
Habanero Peppers (spicy)
Tabasco Peppers (spicy)
Chile D'Arbol Peppers (spicy)
Yatsuifusa Peppers (spicy)
Thai Chili Peppers (spicy)
Okra
Champion Radish
Bitter Melon
Thai Basil
Sequoia Strawberries
English Lavender
Lemon Grass

cherry stuffer pepper plant flower bulbs
IN THE FRONT GARDEN
Super Sugar Snap Peas
Asparagus Beans
Dark Green Zucchini Squash
Space Master Cucumbers
Crimson Sweet Watermelon
Early Yellow Crookneck Squash
French Filet Stringless Beans

lemon grass
IN THE HERB GARDEN
Garden Sage
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
 
strawberries are eaten faster than we can pick them
IN THE TREES
Plum
Fuyu Persimmon
lady bugs in the plum tree

All items listed in green were grown from seed. All items listed in orange are perennials.  All other items were bought as plants. I purchased my seeds from Burpee and Lake Valley Seed. I purchased my plants from Burpee and local nurseries.