Jujube 又是棗子成熟時

This year's jujube is sweeter than last year's, maybe it has to do with watering less and stressing the tree. I know it is true of the cantaloupes and melons I grew over the summer. I withheld water on the cantaloupes for the last 7-10 days before harvest, they were SOOOOOO sweet, the most fragrant, sweetest, and juiciest cantaloupes I ever tasted.

9/30/09 Latest news on imported jujube, goji, and ginsen etc.:
The article was in Chinese, it said jujubes, goji, ginsen etc. from China contain large amount of pesticides, preservatives, and colorants, so beware when you purchase them from store, soak and wash thoroughly before use.

Fall --- Experimental Summer Squash 嘿嘿嘿

Five days later --- 9/28/09
Mission accomplished --- 媒人Mac

Second day of autumn 9/23/09
The lower right male flower was used
to pollinate the female squash flower (top left).

First day of autumn 9/22/09
First female flower ready to blossom.
(Sunburst yellow squash, Burpee seeds)

Sometime in mid or late August I sowed 2 summer squash seeds, I was curious to see if they would grow and bear fruits in cooler weather, both seeds sprouted, and they are setting flowers, but the bees and butterflies are gone, no flying critters to pollinate them, I have no choice but to do the honor.

There's Hope 還活著

Yellow Pencil Pod bush bean flowers,
lots of them and setting pods.

Purple Royal Burgundy bush beans.

Left -- yellow Pencil Pod bush beans.
Right -- Italian Kwintus pole beans.

What a pleasant surprise! These green beans can tolerate temperature down to the mid 30s, I was expecting them to die when the cold snap hit few days ago, but they hung in there. The experiment in growing a fall bean crop is very encouraging, now I know I can grow these beans and get a harvest prior to old man Frosty comes to town.

It Must Be the Water 怪怪的

4 Kaffir limes on the same stem.

You can see 8 Meyer lemons here on the same stem,
but there is a 9th lemon hiding behind this bunch,
don't know why they grow this way.
(They were not given fertility drugs!!!!)

Fall is the end of season for tropical butterly peas,
our night temperature dropped to the mid 30s and low 40s,
too cold for these babies, they are quitting for good.
(This picture was taken on first day of Fall 9/22/09)

Ms. Blue has never produced a single seed pod, whatever happened to the 傳宗接代 theory? The smaller white BP was started in late spring, it is too late for the plant to grow and set flowers before the cold snap. I'm disappointed that there are no seed pods, but I've gained experience and appreciation for this tropical plant, nothing is lost after all.

Magic Beans 紫豆

Purple burgundy beans before blanching.

Bean color changing in hot water bath.

Red color disappearing.

It's gone!

They look like green beans after blanching.

I have been blanching and freezing beans as I harvest them all summer, there are enough frozen beans for the family to last until next year's harvest. I'll grow this purple bush bean again next year. I like the taste, it is tender sweet and not too beany. Web mentioned her CSA purple beans tasted beany 豆味重。 This batch has very mild bean taste, perhaps I picked them too young?

Chinese Napa Cabbage F1 大白菜 (改良種)

Will the center leaves wrap up to form a white "butt" to
the head as daylight shorten and temperature cools down?

It appears the surrounding plants need to be thinned out
to make more room for big sister.

Seeds sowed on 7/31/09, 50% germinated in 3 days,
transplanted to raised bed on 8/14/09,
grows to 23" (58.4 cm) spread in 47 days,
day time temperature range from 70s - 80s (21-27C),
night temperature is in the low - mid 50s (teens in C).
This variety likes cool temp, will it take light frost?

According to Joy Larkcom's "Oriental Vegetables" book (1st edition 1991), there are many varieties of headed napa cabbage --- The "firm-headed" napa cabbage is developed in northern China with cooler summer; while the "loose-headed" cabbage is developed in hotter southern region of China; and then there are early-season, mid-season and late-season varieties with different characteristics. The bottom line is one should choose to plant the type of napa that is suitable for the climate of the growing region.

Baby Purple Burgundy Beans 紫色四季豆

The purple baby beans are so beautiful, I have to pick a small handful for taste test tonight, the rest can stay on the plants for another 2-3 days to get thicker, snap bean pod usually double or triple its size overnight depending on the variety.

The purple color turns green once the pods are cooked, and the beans taste like green beans. I wish the color stays purple after cooking, it would make a good looking dish when mix with other color beans or vegetables.

Today's Pick 今天收了這些

French filet beans, Italian flat beans, choy sum, tomatoes,
Chinese Ping Tung eggplants, miscellaneous hot peppers.

Sun drying over matured beans (during my absence),
lost one batch to rain (forgot they were outside).
they will be good for soups and stews in the Winter.

I finally caught up in dealing with the massive harvest from a week's absence --- at the old house I harvested 5 large winter melons (冬瓜), 52 bitter melons (苦瓜 gave them away), I'll have to go back to pick the jujubes later. Here I picked almost 9 lbs of green beans (blanched and froze), miscellaneous tomatoes, eggplants, cantaloupes, herbs, hot peppers, radishes, leafy greens etc. etc.

The beans on the top picture is a typical day's harvest, multiply that amount by 7 days and you'll get an idea of what I am dealing with after a short vacation; eggplants are harvested every 3-4 days; I am not overwhelmed by tomatoes this year because the planting is down to 2 plants with additional 2 plants in juvenile growing stage, the harvest is staggered until frost.

Part of the Fall planting is in place: the napa cabbage and diakons are perking up with shorter daylight and cooler temperature; my first success in germinating carrots, I finally get the timing right this time. I took a chance in sowing for 2 crops of bush beans for Fall harvest, the purple beans are flowering and setting pods, the yellow beans are beginning to blossom, both types of beans will be ready for harvest before frost which is about 4 weeks from now.

Seeds waiting to be sown --- fava beans, different species of napa cabbage, various Asian greens, radishes, spinach, beets, carrots, sugar snap peas, etc.
WAY ~~~TOO MANY~~~~~~~~~I want to grow EVERYTHING!!!!!!

Easter Eggs II Radish 我回來了

Seeds from Renee's Garden
Sowed on 8/12, 90% sprouted by 8/16
From seed to harvest 27 days.

I didn't picked a white radish this time, there are more
in the ground, maybe next day or two I'll get a white one.