August 8th - Ready To Pick

Lettuce

This week we have tons of lettuce available. They are getting ready to bolt, so feel free to cut a whole head of lettuce off. Just try and do it a couple of inches above the soil so that the plant has a chance to regrow.

Arugula

There is a ton of Arugula in the second row in the right bed. It is in front on the right side. Arugula can be harvested one leaf at a time and put in salads or on sandwiches and burgers to add a peppery flavor.

Yellow Squash

The squash plants are producing well in the left bed of the second row. Yellow squash can be harvested by twisting the squash from the plant. Try not to damage the rest of the vine in doing so. They can also be cut free.

Cucumbers

There are some cucumbers hidden among the leaves as well. These can be harvested like yellow squash or pinched off of the vine.

Patty Pan Squash

These small green bell-shaped squash can be harvested like yellow squash and are found in the center of the squash bed. They should be harvested when they are around the size of a softball or smaller.

Tomatoes

There are some tomatoes producing in the rear left bed. I didn’t get them trellised in time unfortunately, so they aren’t producing as much as they should, but you can still find both cherry tomatoes and large ones. These can be pulled from the branch when they are at least mostly red.

Peppers

There are two types of peppers in the tomato bed. They are located near the center on the front side of the bed. We have orange and banana sweet peppers. Both can be harvested like tomatoes. The banana peppers should be a few inches long and the sweet peppers are bright orange when ripe.

Beets

Beets are in the same bed as the carrots and arugula, the right bed in the second row. They can be harvested when they are the size of a golf ball or larger. To harvest, grab the clump of greens as close to the root as possible and pull directly upward. Try to leave smaller beets nearby in the ground too, as they will continue to grow for a later harvest.

Chard

Rainbow chard is also in full swing. You’ll find it off to the left of the bed with the large heads of lettuce in it. To harvest chard, pull off the lower leaves on the outside of the central stock.

Mint

There is a ton of mint on the left side of the herb bed. The brighter mint is spearmint, and I believe the pointier darker mint is called mojito mint. You can rub the stem with your fingers and smell your fingers to get an idea of their taste. Many herbs are in the mint family, and should be harvested in the same way. Always pinch of a stalk above a set of leaves instead of plucking off individual leaves. This helps the plant produce more.

Lavender

We have three lavender plants in the herb bed (closest to the sidewalk on the left). There are some flowers ready to pick. Please cut the stalk below the flower to keep the plant healthy.

Basil

There is a little bit of basil in the tomato bed (furthest from the sidewalk on the left). It is in the back of the bed, and only the middle basil plant is ready to pick. This is one of the mint based herbs, so pluck off the stalks instead of individual leaves.

Sage

There is a sage plant in the center of the herb bed. it can harvested like other mint-related herbs above.

Oregano

There is a lot of oregano on the right side of the herb bed. This is another mint-related herb and should be harvested by plucking a stalk instead of individual leaves.