Monday Harvests 1/11/10

Warning: Objects may appear larger than reality! (This is a mini-colander)

This week I harvested two things from under the lights indoors. They are probably the only harvests I will have from indoors since my lettuce seeds never took off and my peppers have been infested with aphids and sucked dry. One has died and the other is on its way. I could have saved them if I had done something about the aphids a few months ago, but now its too late. I won't show you what they look like, its embarrassing. This is the one cayenne pepper that set before the aphid attack began. It just turned red. So now the only thing that is really producing under the grow lights in the herbs, rosemary, thyme, and basil. The funny thing is that we don't use the basil because its not a winter time flavor. Occasionally I remember to toss it in pasta sauce, but often it is forgotten.

My ginger died back recently and so I harvested the root this weekend. The main piece I planted back in June was no longer edible, but the off shoots where the leaves were created these two small pieces. I think if it had gotten more sun this summer and I had been more diligent about fertilizing it, they might have gotten bigger. They only weigh 1 1/4 oz. I haven't decided whether we'll eat it, or if I'll save it to re-plant and hope for better returns next year.

Maybe this week it will warm up so I can pick a few greens from the cold frame.
You can see what other gardeners are still harvesting at Daphne's Dandelions.

Asian Spice Experiment Update

Here's a update on two experimental Asian spice plantings this year.
The good news is that my second try at growing ginger took off well. It has been growing well on the front porch with the other herbs. It sent out 3 strong shoots, and recently developed a fourth. Now the leaves are beginning to yellow with the cooler weather and I'm preparing to bring it indoors. I haven't decided if I'm going to harvest any of the root, or keep it as an ornamental plant.
My sesame experiment was not so successful. As I mentioned in my harvest update, only one of the 8 plants bloomed and it only had one flower. I harvested it when the leaves were beginning to yellow, but the seed pod, was still green. I didn't want it to open and loose the seeds. Here's what the seedpod looked like before it dried.
It held a total of 13 black sesame seeds. Next year, I need better soil and better light.

Asian Spice Experiments

Back in late April I planted black sesame seeds. I started them indoors and then transplanted them into the cold frame in early May. For the longest time they were going now where, just stuck with four leaves or so. When we moved the walls of water off the tomatoes a few week ago, we put them around the sesame seeds. Finally they seem to be growing in height. I'm concerned I won't get a harvest from them because they take 120 days to mature. I may have to cover them to protect from the frost come fall. I think that they are growing so slowly because of all the cool and wet weather we've had. Sorry for the red tinge to the photo, it's the red light inside the wall of water.
In early April I planted some ginger root. However, the first root rotted instead of sprouting. I tried again and recently my plant spouted. Now I have two shoots growing in my pot.

Here's a photo of what mine might look like some day. This was taken at a visit to the Lyman Conservatory at Smith College last month. I'll share more photos from that visit in a future post.