Vegetable Harvest Report 07 2009

If these numbers seem high it's because this report contains about 2 weeks worth of produce. It includes the big collection I did right before I left for vacation and the one I did just yesterday. I've officially harvested more than I've spent, yay!

On another pleasing note the celebrity tomatoes are surprisingly still alive. I completely thought that by the time I returned they would be dead. Not so, several little fruits have appeared and they remain untouched by the mold. I hope they make it to maturity.

So how's everyone doing? I may be back from vacation, but my mind is still wandering!

Bell Pepper: 4 pounds, 14.6 ounces
Average Price: $0.29/ounce
Total: $22.79

Cherry Tomato: 1 pound 4.4 ounces
Average Price: $0.42/ounce
Total: $8.57

Eggplant: 7 pounds, 13.1 ounces
Average Price: $0.25/ounce
Total: $31.28

Hot Pepper: 13.3 ounces
Average Price: $0.34/ounce
Total: $4.52

Tomato: 3 pounds, 12 ounces
Average Price: $0.22/ounce
Total: $13.20

Weight Total: 18 pounds, 9.4 ounces
Price Total: $80.36

Running Weight Total: 54 pounds, 14.6 ounces
Running Price Total: $239.38

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Reading Round Up: Gone Fishing Edition

Okay peeps, I'm on vacation right now (I could be at the beach as you read this) so this is the only post for this week. There also won't be a reading round up next Monday since I'll have limited Internet access while I'm away.

A friend will be watering the garden during my absence, but it seemed a bit much to ask them to weigh and record everything that comes out of the garden while I'm gone, so I'm just gonna let the harvest report go and start up again when I return. Be back soon!

Reduced lead levels in the White House vegetable garden.

Get your front yard edible garden in a book!

Nothing to read here, but still worth a look. Guerrilla Gardening in Abandoned Newspaper Boxes

Finally, a Queens gardening blog. It's true, until I read this article I couldn't find one personal gardening blog based in Queens. CSA's and various non-profits sure, but no personal ones. If you know of any others please let me know.

Gardening boot camp. Click it, it's not what you think.

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Vegetable Harvest Report 06 2009

These maybe the last celebrity tomatoes you see coming from my garden. The gray mold is doing a number on the tomato plants. One plant is marginally healthier than the other one, but given how poorly the other plant is doing that's not saying much. I sincerely doubt any of the remaining fruit on the vine will ripen before the fungus gets them. I think I'll just pull them out and be done with it, there's always next year. In contrast, the eggplants and peppers are doing great, I wish everything were so easy care for.

Bell Pepper: 4 pounds, 1.5 ounces
Average Price: $0.29/ounce
Total: $19.00

Cherry Tomato: 4.7 ounces
Average Price: $0.42/ounce
Total: $1.97

Eggplant: 2 pounds, 12.9 ounces
Average Price: $0.25/ounce
Total: $11.23

Hot Pepper: 4.3 ounces
Average Price*: $0.34/ounce
Total: $1.46

Tomato: 6 pounds 10.9 ounces
Average Price: $0.22/ounce
Total: $23.52

Weight Total: 14 pounds, 2.3 ounces
Price Total: $57.18

Running Weight Total: 36 pounds, 5.2 ounces
Running Price Total: $159.02

*Not a lot of vendors are selling these items right now so this average will change over time as I'm able to to collect more prices.

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DIY Soda Bottle Drip Irrigation

Welcome to Bucolic Bushwick. Here you'll find advice on rooftop vegetable gardening, as well as several plans for DIY self watering planters. Please share this page with others and help spread the vegetable gardening movement.

The micro climate on the roof is very desert-like; hot, dry and windy. The vegetable plants go through water much faster than if they were at ground level. I water the containers everyday, but the cherry tomato plant and the eggplants exhaust their water supply before I make it home. By the time I get back from work their 1 gallon reservoirs are empty and their soil almost bone dry. I really, really don't want to water twice a day, so I had think of a way of extending their water supply.

Free Bag O Veggies!

I have a grocery bag heavy with organic rooftop vegetables that are ready and waiting for a new home. They were originally meant for a friend, but they weren't able to pick them up in time to catch their flight. I have more than enough at home so they'll go to anybody willing to come pick them up in Manhattan. They'll be in a commercial building very close to the Union Square subway station.

The winner of this contest must write a post on their blog about what they did/cooked with these veggies with a link back to my site. You could also add me to your blogroll if you're willing. If you don't have a blog then just tell all your friends about me and encourage them to visit my site.

First commenter wins. Ready, set, go!

Update: Ok, forget I said anything. I told someone in my building about the contest and they asked for the bag, so I gave it to them. I promise next time I'll actually see the contest through to the end.

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Reading Round Up: Caterpillars on a Boat Edition

Life is rough on the high seas, New York's Daily News has an article about life on the Waterpod.

Verticle farming at the zoo!

Here are some August gardening chores.

Gardening is a great way to extend your life expectancy. I'm not surprised by this finding. Not only is gardening a great form of exercise it's also a great stress reliever.

The NY Times reports on several NJ restaurants that grow their own produce.

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Garden Gallery Shots 03 2009

 Jalapeno Heaven Hybrid Pepper

California Wonder Pepper

Golden Star Pepper

Here's the aphid encrusted broccoli plant I mentioned in the last harvest report. Gross yet fascinating isn't it? I kept this photo at a high resolution for those who want a detailed view.

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Vegetable Harvest Report 05 2009

So the neem appears to be helping the celebrity tomatoes a little bit. New flowers are finallly blossoming instead of withering away. The problem, however, is the weather. These on/off rainy, humid days are giving the gray mold a prime opportunity to spread throughout the 2 plants. I've been clearing away all the infected plant debris, but if the weather doesn't change soon I don't think I'll be getting a lot of new fruit from them before frost kills them off. And who knows when frost will come, this weather has been very strange. I think if we could get just one solid week of dry, non-humid weather they'd have a chance of bouncing back, but unless that happens these plants are bound for the garbage can.

On the brighter side of things its been weeks since I've seen aphids on the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Where did they go? To the broccoli! They've completely engulfed one broccoli plant, just like in NYC Garden, and are slowly spreading to the other 3. I'm glad I didn't pull them out, they turned out to be great trap plants.

Bell Pepper: 12.5 ounces
Average Price: $0.29/ounce
Total: $3.63

Cherry Tomato: 11.1 ounces
Average Price: $0.42/ounce
Total: $4.66

Eggplant: 14.9 ounces
Average Price: $0.25/ounce
Total: $3.73

Hot Pepper: 6.4 ounces
Average Price*: $0.31/ounce
Total: $1.98

Tomato: 6 pounds 6.3 ounces
Average Price: $0.22/ounce
Total: $22.51

Weight Total: 9 pounds, 3.2 ounces
Price Total: $36.51

Running Weight Total: 22 pounds, 2.9 ounces
Running Price Total: $101.84 (over the half way mark!)

*Not a lot of vendors are selling these items right now so this average will change over time as I'm able to to collect more prices.

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Vegetable Garden Spotter: the Neighbors Update

So the neighbors' plants have finally revealed themselves. In the 5 gallon buckets they're growing cherry tomatoes and in the laundry basket and the container beside it I think they're growing peppers. I originally thought they were main season tomatoes, but the foliage didn't seem right. The old sink remains a mystery.

If you enlarge the photo you can see they're using soda bottles to irrigate their plants. They probably bought those watering spikes you screw to the top of the bottles. I wonder if they've been able to keep their plants adequately watered, their roof isn't as high as mine, but I'm sure the environment is similar enough. I doubt it's as windy as my place, but those shiny roofs are hot and BRIGHT. Plants will go through water fast in that kind of environment. My previous roof was like that and I suspect the shininess was the cause of my bell pepper sunscald.

Next time I'll check up on the Waterpod or the East River, I can't decide who I want to visit first.

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Reading Round Up: Sour Cherry Edition

The NY Times series, the Starter Garden, covers some extremely low maintenance plants for your vegetable garden.

If you plan on growing some cold season crops now is the time to start the seedlings. I still haven't decided if I want to do this. I'm not sure I want to be puttering around the roof when it's cold and windy.

School gardens are on the rise.

Here's an interesting article on container gardening. It never occurred to me you could sterilize soil in a microwave. I do this all the time with the sponges we use in the kitchen and bathroom, why not soil too?

Welcome to the dog days of August!

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