This past weekend I cleaned the "Red Russian" garlic bulbs that I had lifted a week ago and set out to cure. I was concerned then that they didn't feel as heavy in my hands as I remembered from past years. After weighting them I did discover that they are smaller this year than any of the other years that I have grown this variety. This year I harvested 9 plants. The total harvest was 3 lbs. 3.6 oz. The largest bulb weighed 8.4 oz , the smallest was 4.2 oz., and the average bulb weight was 5.7 oz. For comparison, in 2014 the average bulb size was 7.23 oz and in 2013 it was 6.77 oz. It would be easy to say the smaller size was a direct result of my late planting last year but the "Chesnook Red" garlic, also planted December 13th, was bigger this year than in past years. So maybe it was just an off year for "Red Russian".
My tomato plants, with the exception of the "Mexico" plant, are loaded with green fruit. I am finally starting to see some color in the lower trusses and was able to pick a just a few this week. Among my early "haul" was the first red ripe "Matina".
I also found 3 "Galina" hiding near the bottom of the plant. This is the third year that I have grown this yellow cherry. It has always produced well for me.
And I also picked the first 3 "Esterina". I didn't realize this was another yellow cherry or I probably would have chosen a different variety. Oh well, I guess my taste testers can compare the two this year and see if they have a favorite.
I also spent an hour or two Sunday afternoon picking the first round of wild blackberries. I didn't expect much, since we have had such an early, hot Summer here. The blackberries love a warm, wet Spring to help develop big berries and there hasn't been much rainfall at all this year. I ended up picking from the top of the driveway all the way down to the main road and back up the other side. While the berry size isn't very good I still managed to fill my plastic berry bucket and ended up with 3 lbs. 15.5 oz of blackberries. I washed them all and then saved half for fresh eating and froze the rest to use this Winter.
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10 comments:
Gorgeous garlic and berries, but those tomatoes on the vine are begging to be eaten :)
Wow those are huge garlic bulbs. Mine are usually about 2oz, though I haven't weighed them yet this year so I'm not sure how they will stack up. I think better than last year.
I'm like Daphne, those are HUGE garlic bulbs by my standards! My biggest ones are less than 3 oz.
Those are beautiful tomatoes. I envy your blackberries--I have a few patches growing in the woods, but I'd have to fight off the ticks to reach them, so they're birdfood unfortunately. Our wild black raspberries, on the other hand, kindly grow in no-man's-land. I'm planning to grow garlic for the first time this year; I hope I get your results, but doubt I will.
Hurray for the first ripe tomatoes! And I'll also chime in on the garlic....5+ oz is a whopper bulb...7 oz may as well be called elephant garlic!
Ooh those tomatoes look so good!! And beautiful garlic - I think you are one of the first bloggers I've seen that grows Red Russian garlic (as do I here in Ontario).
The garlic is beautiful and the heads are huge. I think my biggest one ever was around 3 ounces. I'm growing Esterina this year for the second time. I like it, will be interesting to see what your taste testers think.
Great harvest - my goal is grow garlic next planting season. I keep skipping it and really shouldn't because it so much better from garden to table.
Carole @ Garden Up Green
We also had a warm spring with less rain than normal. I know it hurt the raspberries in the field where I usually pick, they were much smaller this year too. Your tomatoes look good. We've had a few cherry tomatoes ripening and I picked a few tiger and Roma tomatoes this week. Thanks for linking up to the Tuesday Garden Party.
Your garlic is superb, I've grown it in the past, but just not so organised this year. Hope to plan better for next year. Your tomatoes are ripening nicely, ours are still very very green - but will there and those blackberries, yum. I will be foraging for them, lucky you to be able to get your mitts on them in your immediate surroundings.
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