Days 767 - 864 Busy days!!

Been 14 weeks since the last post. I guess life has been pretty darn busy!! I was just about to quit this endeavor but I thought I might regret it later...so here it is!!

Anyhow, I have continued to harvest daily and it has been quite the bountiful harvest this summer. Perfect weather we ahve had through the months of summer and fall. Not too hot and not too cool. The early rains of last year did not happen so we have had an amazing Fig crop (480 figs) and right now we are picking the first mandarins (already picked over 100 and the trees are loaded).

A fourteen-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 13 ($6.50)
Chard: 18 bunches ($36.00)
Strawberries: 6.5 baskets ($13.00)
Peaches: 53 ($45.75)
Zucchini: 106 ($78.00)
Cucumber: 52 ($27.00)
Tomatoes: 261 ($136.00)
Cherry Tomato: 3 baskets ($6.00)
Pears: 36 ($32.00)
Asian Pears: 9 ($5.00)
Grapes: 25 lb ($50.00)
Potaotoes: 2 lb ($2.00)
Raspberries: 7.5 baskets ($15.00)
Salad: 2 ($1.00)
Honey: 20 quarts ($400.00)
Kiwi: 2 ($1.00)
Limes: 2 ($1.00)
Apples: 128 ($70.00)
Figs: 480 ($120.00)
Mandarins: 112 ($28.00)

Fourteen-Week harvest: $673.25
Total Produce Harvested : $4313.75
Total Honey Harvested: $920.00
Expenses: $480.00
Daily Details
Year 3, Day 36
1) 7 tomatoes
2) 10 peaches
3) 8 pears
4) 6 zukes
5) 2 bunches chard
6) 1 lemon
7) 4 asian pears

Year 3, Day 37
1) 4 peaches

Year 3, Day 38
1) 6 pears
2) 10 tomatoes
3) 3 cukes
4) 4 zukes
5) 6 peaches
6) 3 lemons
7) 3 asian pears

Year 3, Day 39
1) 10 peaches
2) 10 pears

Year 3, Day 40
1) 4 peaches
2) 12 pears
3) 10 tomatoes
4) 3 zukes
5) basket cherry tomatoes
6) 1/2 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 41
1) 3/4 lb grapes
2) 8 peaches
3) 2 zukes
4) 2 tomatoes
5) basket cherry tomatoes

Year 3, Day 42
gone

Year 3, Day 43
1) 7 peaches
2) 6 tomatoes
3) 1 zuke
4) 3 cukes

Year 3, Day 44
1) 2 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 45
1) 2 asian pears
2) 6 tomaotes
3) 4 zukes
4) 1.5 baskets strawberries

Year 3, Day 46
1) 2 bunches chard
2) 4 peaches
3) 3/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 47
1) 1 lb grapes
2) 3 zukes
3) 1/2 basket raspberries

Year 3, Day 48
1) 2.5 lb grapes
2) 1 cuke
3) 13 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 49
1) 2 baskets strawberries
2) 2 bunches chard
3) 1 zuke
4) 4 tomatoes
5) 2 lb potatoes
6) 1 lemon
7) 1/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 50
1) 1.25 lb grapes
2) 3 tomatoes
3) 1 cuke

Year 3, Day 51
1) 1 lb grapes
2) 11 tomatoes
3) 4 zukes
4) 1 bunch chard
5) 1 basket strawberries

Year 3, Day 52
1) 1 basket raspberries
2) 3/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 53
1) 3/4 lb grapes
2) 13 tomaotes
3) 3 zukes
4) 2 cukes

Year 3, Day 54
1) 2.5 lb grapes
2) 2 bunches chard
3) 1 basket strawberries

Year 3, Day 55
1) 3/4 lb grapes
2) 16 tomaotes
3) 1/2 basket Raspberries

Year 3, Day 56
1) 1/2 basket strawberries
2) 8 zukes
3) 1/2 lb grapes
4) 4 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 57
1) 1.5 lb grapes
2) 8 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 58
1) Salad greens
2) 1/4 lb grapes
3) 1 lemon
4) 5 tomatoes
5) 1/2 basket strawberries

Year 3, Day 59
1) 1 lb grapes
2) 4 zukes
3) 1 bunch chard
4) 10 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 60
1) 3/4 lb grapes
2) 10 tomatoes
3) 1 cuke

Year 3, Day 61
1) 1/2 lb grapes
2) 3 tomatoes
3) 2 basket raspberries
4) 2 figs

Year 3, Day 62
1) 2 lb grapes
2) 1 basket raspberries
3) 6 figs
4) 4 zukes
5) 3 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 63
1) 2 zukes
2) 12 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 64
1) 8 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 65
1) 1/2 lb grapes
2) 1/2 basket raspberries
3) 1 bunch chard
4) 1 zuke

Year 3, Day 66
1) 7 tomatoes
2) 2 bunches chard
3) 3 zukes
4) 3 figs
5) 1/4 lb grapes
6) 1/4 lb green beans

Year 3, Day 67
1) 1 basket raspberries
2) 4 tomatoes
3) 1 fig

Year 3, Day 68
1) 4 figs
2) 1/4 lb grapes
3) 2 tomatoes
4) 3 zukes
5) 1 lemon
6) Salad greens

Year 3, Day 69
1) 5 tomatoes
2) 5 zukes
3) 1/4 lb grapes
4) 3 figs

Year 3, Day 70
1) 1 basket strawberries
2) 4 tomatoes
3) 2 figs

Year 3, Day 71
1) 4 cukes
2) 2 tomatoes
3) 1 basket raspberries
4) 1 fig

Year 3, Day 72
1) 5 zukes
2) 4 figs
3) 1/4 lb grapes
4) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 73
1) 1 bunch chard
2) 8 tomatoes
3) 1/4 lb grapes
4) 2 apples
5) 8 figs

Year 3, Day 74
1) 7 figs
2) 1/4 lb grapes
3) 3 apples
4) 1 lemon
5) 1 zuke

Year 3, Day 75
1) 8 figs
2) 5 apples
3) 1/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 76
1) 8 figs
2) 3 apples
3) 1/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 77
1) 3 apples
2) 17 figs

Year 3, Day 78
1) 3 apples
2) 10 tomatoes
3) 3 cukes
4) 6 zukes

Year 3, Day 79
1) 1/2 lb grapes
2) 5 apples
3) 11 figs

Year 3, Day 80
1) 13 figs
2) 5 apples
3) 1/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 81
1) 9 figs
2) 5 apples
3) 2 tomatoes
4) 2 cukes

Year 3, Day 82
1) 7 figs
2) 5 apples

Year 3, Day 83
1) 3 apples
2) 5 zukes
3) 1 cuke

Year 3, Day 84
1) 18 apples
2) 6 tomatoes
3) 1 lemon
4) 30 figs

Year 3, Day 85
1) 6 figs

Year 3, Day 86
1) 12 figs
2) 1 cuke
3) 1/2 basket cherry tomatoes

Year 3, Day 87
1) 11 figs

Year 3, Day 88
1) 12 figs
2) 4 apples
3) 1 cuke

Year 3, Day 89
1) 8 zukes
2) 7 apples
3) 3 cukes
4) 1 lemon
5) 15 figs

Year 3, Day 90
1) 17 apples
2) 25 figs

Year 3, Day 91
gone

Year 3, Day 92
1) 7 figs
2) 4 zukes
3) 4 cukes
4) 3 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 93
1) 20 figs
2) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 94
1) 17 figs
2) 8 apples

Year 3, Day 95
1) 15 figs
2) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 96
1) 19 figs
2) 4 zukes
3) 6 apples
4) 2 bunches chard
5) 5 cukes
6) 2 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 97
1) 10 figs
2) 1 apples
3) 1 kiwi

Year 3, Day 98
1) 11 figs

Year 3, Day 99
1) 4 apples
2) 1 fig
3) 4 cukes
4) 1 tomato

Year 3, Day 100
1) 11 figs
2) 4 apples
3) 3 zukes

Year 3, Day 101
1) 20 figs
2) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 102
1) 19 figs
2) 1 apple
3) 2 cukes

Year 3, Day 103
1) 16 figs
2) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 104
1) 20 figs
2) 1 apple

Year 3, Day 105
1) 12 figs
2) 1 tomato
3) 4 cukes
4) 4 zukes

Year 3, Day 106
1) 3 figs
2) 1 tomato
3) 4 cukes

Year 3, Day 107
1) 14 figs

Year 3, Day 108
1) 12 figs
2) 2 tomatoes

Year 3, Day 109
1) 3 tomatoes
2) 17 figs

Year 3, Day 110
1) 9 figs
2) 5 zukes

Year 3, Day 111
1) 8 figs

Year 3, Day 112
1) 33 tomatoes
2) 1/2 basket cherry tomatoes
3) 1 zuke
4) 6 cukes
5) 1 mandarin

Year 3, Day 113
1) 2 figs
2) 1/4 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 114
1) 4 apples

Year 3, Day 115
1) 1 mandarin
2) 1 bunch chard

Year 3, Day 116
1) 1 kiwi

Year 3, Day 117
1) 3 apples
2) 1 lemon

Year 3, Day 118
1) 1 mandarin
2) 1 lime

Year 3, Day 119
1) 1 apple
2) 1 lemon
3) 1 lime

Year 3, Day 120
1) 12 mandarins


Year 3, Day 121
1) 8 mandarins
2) 3 apples

Year 3, Day 122
1) 10 mandarins

Year 3, Day 123
1) 3 mandarins

Year 3, Day 124
1) 4 mandarins

Year 3, Day 125
1) 6 mandarins
2) 1 apple
3) 1 bunch chard

Year 3, Day 126
1) 6 mandarins

Year 3, Day 127
1) 5 mandarins

Year 3, Day 128
1) 4 mandarins

Year 3, Day 129
1) 5 mandarins

Year 3, Day 130
1) 9 mandarins

Year 3, Day 131
1) 13 mandarins
2) 1 lemon

Year 3, Day 132
1) 9 mandarins

Year 3, Day 133
1) 15 mandarins

Days 746 - 766 Peak Produce

Today I was out picking the daily produce and I was astounded that I picked more than 13 pounds of fruit and vegetables in one morning. Thus the title, "Peak Produce". I have to believe that early August has to be the peak of my garden here in Sonoma County. Surely cannot sustain 13 pounds of produce every day for very long.

A while ago somebody asked me how much time I spent on my garden. Honestly, there is some time that is used for planting seeds, starts and taking care of the weeding...but my answer to him was that most of my time was spent harvesting stuff. I try to do it all in the morning and I find that the plants respond better if I harvest when it is nice and cool as opposed to during the mid-day heat. Each morning I must spend a good 15 minutes gathering from the garden. Due to this blog, I do spend a little more time tallying up the totals each day and weighing stuff that I need to do so I can get a dollar figure. Fifteen minutes may not seem like a lot of time...and it is not a problem right now, but being a teacher, once school starts, the mornings are a bit more time-sensitive and I will have to get up a bit earlier just to keep up with the great stuff that is coming out!! Cannot complain too much though since I get to bring all of this fresh stuff to work with me for snacks!!

Did only three weeks this time since the amount we have been havesting is much greater (as opposed to the winter when we harvest one or two varieties of citrus).

A three-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 4 ($2.00)
Chard: 7 bunches ($14.00)
Strawberries: 2.5 baskets ($5.00)
Blueberries: 1.5 baskets ($3.00)
Peaches: 120 ($70.50)
Zucchini: 37 ($34.00)
Cucumber: 27 ($17.00)
Tomatoes: 24 ($27.00)
Cherry Tomato: 2 baskets ($4.00)
Pears: 37 ($32.50)
Asian Pears: 4 ($3.75)
Grapes: 1.75 lb ($3.50)

Year 3, Day 15
1) 1 tomato
2) 1 cucumber
3) 15 peaches
4) 1 basket blueberries

Year 3, Day 16
gone

Year 3, Day 17
1) 6 zucchini
2) 1 tomato

Year 3, Day 18
1) 2 zucchini
2) 5 peaches
3) 1 bunch chard
4) 1 tomato
5) 3 cucumbers

Year 3, Day 19
1) 27 peaches
2) 1 tomato
3) 2 zucchini
4) 1 bunch chard

Year 3, Day 20
1) 36 peaches
2) 2 cucumbers
3) 2 bunches chard

Year 3, Day 21
gone

Year 3, Day 22
1) 5 zucchini
2) 2 cucumbers
3) 1 tomato
4) 2 lemons

Year 3, Day 23
1) 2 lemons
2) 2 cucumbers
3) 3 zucchini

Year 3, Day 24
gone

Year 3, Day 25
1) 5 cucumbers
2) 2 zucchini
3) 2 tomatoes
4) 5 peaches
5) 3 pears
6) 1 basket cherry tomatoes

Year 3, Day 26
1) 2 tomatoes
2) 3 bunches chard

Year 3, Day 27
1) 4 tomatoes
2) 3 zucchini
3) 3 cucumber
4) 1/2 basket blueberries
5) 1 peach

Year 3, Day 28
1) 3 peaches
2) 1 basket strawberries
3) 5 pears
4) 2 zucchini
5) 1 asian pear

Year 3, Day 29
1) 1 cucumber
2) 1 peach
3) 6 pears
4) 1 zucchini

Year 3, Day 30
1) 1 1/4 lb grapes
2) 3 zucchini
3) 1 basket cherry tomatoes
4) 2 cucumbers
5) 6 pears
6) 3 peaches

Year 3, Day 31
gone

Year 3, Day 32
1) 3 tomatoes
2) 5 zucchini
3) 1 cucumber
4) 9 peaches

Year 3, Day 33
1) 9 peaches
2) 1/2 lb grapes

Year 3, Day 34
1) 7 peaches
2) 9 pears
3) 4 cucumbers
4) 5 tomatoes
5) 3 zucchini

Year 3, Day 35
1) 8 pears
2) 1 1/2 baskets strawberries
3) 3 tomatoes
4) 1 cucumber
5) 3 asian pears

Three-Week harvest: $216.25
Total Produce Harvested : $3640.50
Total Honey Harvested: $520.00
Expenses: $430.00

Days 718 - 745 Variety of Life

Coming out of winter it amazes me how much variety can come out of a little backyard garden. This 4-week period saw 14 varieties of produce...almost a grocery store...with quality that never ceases to amaze the senses.

It is this time of the year when we can start seeing a real difference in our shopping habits. I have been doing most of the grocery shopping for the summer and I hardly have to buy any produce. I buy carrots because we do not grow those and the occasional bunch of bananas, but I have been finding that we can eat almost all of our fruit and at least half of our veggies from our yard. The tally for the last 4 weeks is over $200...which is greater than the entire 8 weeks prior. That itself says why my shopping trips have become so much easier.

The summer fruit. That is what we are partaking in right now. Peaches are ripening nicely and we are doing our daily consumption. Lucky for us, the first peach variety that we get is slow to ripen and I can find about 10 each day that are perfect. The aprium though was a different story. How that tree has the quality of a plum!!! All of the fruit came and went in about 10 days. Giving some away and freezing a whole lot...for the kids love them frozen!! What a treat.

Starting the 3rd year of continuous harvest. Here we go!!

A four-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 15 ($7.50)
Salad Greens: 5 salads ($5.00)
Chard: 8.5 bunches ($17.00)
Beets: 40 ($30.00)
Strawberries: 3.5 baskets ($7.00)
Raspberries: 15.5 baskets ($31.00)
Blueberries: 8 baskets ($16.00)
Apriums: 105 ($39.00)
Nectarines: 17 ($12.00)
Peaches: 35 ($18.00)
Zucchini: 24 ($23.50)
Cucumber: 7 ($4.00)
Tomatoes: 2 ($1.00)
Cherry Tomato: 1 basket ($2.00)

Year 2, Day 353
1) 1 basket Strawberries
2) Salad greens
3) 1/2 bunch chard
4) 3 baskets raspberries
5) 5 lemons

Year 2, Day 354
1) 1/2 basket blueberries
2) 5 beets
3) salad greens
4) 1 basket raspberries
5) 1 aprium

Year 2, Day 355
1) 2 bunches chard
2) 5 apriums
3) 1.5 baskets raspberries

Year 2, Day 356
1) Salad greens
2) 5 beets
3) 1 aprium
4) 1 basket raspberries
5) 1/2 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 357
1) Salad greens

Year 2, Day 358
1) 6 beets
2) 1 basket raspberries
3) 1 lemon
4) 1 aprium

Year 2, Day 359
1) 1 bunch chard
2) 6 lemons
3) 1 basket raspberries
4) 1/2 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 360
1) 1 basket strawberries
2) salad greens

Year 2, Day 361
1) 1.5 baskets raspberries
2) 2 apriums

Year 2, Day 362
1) 6 beets
2) 1 basket raspberries
3) 2 apriums

Year 2, Day 363
1) 1 basket blueberries
2) 5 apriums

Year 2, Day 364
1) 6 beets
2) 12 apriums
3) 1/2 basket raspberries

Year 2, Day 365
1) 2 bunches chard
2) 1 basket strawberries
3) 1 basket blueberries
4) 1 basket raspberries
5) 6 apriums

Year 2, Day 366
1) 4 zukes
2) 2 cherry tomatoes
3) 1 basket blueberries
4) 1/2 basket raspberries
5) 30 apriums

Year 3, Day 1
1) 6 beets
2) 1 nectarine
3) 1 zuke
4) 20 apriums

Year 3, Day 2
1) 10 apriums
2) 1 basket blueberries
3) 2 cherry tomatoes
4) 3 nectarines
5) 1 zuke

Year 3, Day 3
1) 10 apriums
2) 1 nectarine
3) 6 beets
4) 1.5 baskets raspberries

Year 3, Day 4
1) 5 nectarines
2) 1 basket blueberries

Year 3, Day 5
1) 6 zukes
2) 1 nectarine
3) 3 peaches

Year 3, Day 6
1) 2 nectarines
2) 2 bunches chard

Year 3, Day 7
1) 4 nectarines
2) 5 zukes

Year 3, Day 8
1) 1 basket blueberries
2) 3 peaches

Year 3, Day 9
1) 3 zukes
2) 5 cukes
3) 1 peach

Year 3, Day 10
Gone

Year 3, Day 11
1) 2 tomatoes
2) 2 zukes

Year 3, Day 12
1) 1/2 basket strawberries
2) 1/2 basket blueberries
3) 10 peaches
4) 3 zukes
5) 2 cukes
6) 3 lemons

Year 3, Day 13
1) 8 peaches
2) 2 zukes
3) 1 bunch chard

Year 3, Day 14
1) 10 peaches
2) 1 zuke

Four-Week harvest: $213.00
Total Produce Harvested : $3424.25
Total Honey Harvested: $520.00
Expenses: $430.00 (seeds and avocado tree)

Days 662 - 717 BB King

Eigt weeks is just too long of a time. We left harvesting only lemons and we have already harvested our first cherry tomatos!! I will try to commit to a 4 week maximum between posts.

Why BB King? Well, berries and beets are king right now in the garden. Not to mention that I harvested honey early and took nearly 2 gallons. Good stuff!! We have had so little rain in the spring but that has made a greatt berry spring. We are harvesting raspberries every morning and evening with more than enough for everybody in the family (and some for the neighbors). Gotta love that!! Beets are plentiful and the beets and the greens have been feeding our family every 2 or three days. Kids love them and we do too.

I started this blog trying to show that you can harvest something every day in Sonoma County and I am just completing 2 years. Pretty cool. By the time I post again I will be in the third year. I can forsee trouble in October with a small apple harvest...but the citrus crop next winter looks great!!

An eight-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 101 ($50.50)
Salad Greens: 21 salads ($21.00)
Garlic: 61 bulbs ($30.50)
Chard: 3 bunches ($6.00)
Beets: 33 ($27.50)
Strawberries: 11 baskets ($22.00)
Raspberries: 9.5 baskets ($19.00)
Blueberries: 2.75 baskets ($5.50)
Cherries: 0.5 lb ($4.00)
Honey: 8 quarts ($160.00)

Year 2, Day 297
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 garlic

Year 2, Day 298
1) 2 lemons
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 299
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 300
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 301
1) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 302
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 303
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 304
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 305
1) 5 lemons

Year 2, Day 306
1) 2 lemons
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 307
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 308
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 309
1) 2 lemons
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 310
1) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 311
1) 4 lemons
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 312
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 313
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 314
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 315
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 316
1) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 317
1) 5 lemons

Year 2, Day 318
1) 2 lemons
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 319
1) Salad Greens
2) 1 Garlic

Year 2, Day 320
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 Garlic
3) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 321
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 322
1) 2 bunches Chard

Year 2, Day 323
1) 1 lemon
2) 1/2 basket Strawberries

Year 2, Day 324
1) 1 lemon
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 325
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 garlic
3) 1 raspberrry
4) 1/2 basket Strawberries

Year 2, Day 326
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 327
1) 1 lemon
2) Salad Greens
3) 1/2 basket Strawberries

Year 2, Day 328
1) 4 lemons
2) 1 cherry
3) 1 garlic

Year 2, Day 329
1) 3 lemons
2) 56 garlic

Year 2, Day 330
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 331
1) 5 lemons
2) 4 blueberries
3) 10 cherries

Year 2, Day 332
1) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 333
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 bunch chard

Year 2, Day 334
1) 1 lemon
2) Salad Greens
3) 1 basket strawberries
4) 4 cherries
5) 4 raspberries

Year 2, Day 335
1) 8 lemons

Year 2, Day 336
1) 4 beets
2) 6 raspberries
3) 6 cherries
4) 1 basket strawberries

Year 2, Day 337
1) 1 lemon
2) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 338
1) 5 lemons
2) 6 beets
3) Salad Greens
4) 1/4 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 339
1) 1 lemon
2) Salad Greens
3) 1 bunch chard
4) 1.5 bvaskets strawberries
5) 1/4 basket blueberries
6) 1/4 basket raspberries

Year 2, Day 340
Gone

Year 2, Day 341
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 342
1) 5 beets
2) Salad greens
3) 1.5 baskets strawberries
4) 1/2 basket raspberries
5) 8 quarts honey

Year 2, Day 343
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 344
1) 5 beets
2) Salad Greens
3) 2 baskets strawberries
4) 1 basket raspberries

Year 2, Day 345
1) 1 lemon
2) 1 basket Raspberries
3) 1/4 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 346
1) 1 lemon
2) 1 basket raspberries
3) 1 basket strawberries

Year 2, Day 347
1) 8 lemons
2) 5 beets
3) Salad Greens
4) 1.5 baskets raspberries
5) 1/2 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 348
1) Salad Greens
2) 1.5 baskets strawberries
3) 1/2 basket blueberries

Year 2, Day 349
Gone

Year 2, Day 350
Gone

Year 2, Day 351
1) 3 beets
2) 2 baskets raspberries
3) 1 cherry tomato

Year 2, Day 352
1) 5 beets
2) Salad Greens
3) 2 baskets Raspberries
4) 1 basket blueberries

Eight-Week harvest: $190.00
Total Produce Harvested : $3211.25
Total Honey Harvested: $520.00
Expenses: $380.00 (seeds)

Days 627 - 661 Lemons

It is the time of the year that the garden is renewing. Flowers are out, bees are flying, and the veggie garden is starting. The lemon tree is the staple for about another month or so until the raspberries and the blueberries start ripening...and if we ever get a decent crop of cherries!!

It is also the time of the year when I realize how tenuous farming must be. A rain storm during the bloom and the crop drops. I have seen it in our yard. Last year we had very little grapes but a bumper crop of apples. I think this year might be just the opposite. It kind of shows how monocropping can be a real boom or bust economy. We definitely do not do the monocrop...we hardly have a duplicate of anything.

Observing my yard is like looking into a crystal ball. I can start to see the future crops that will be on our table this summer and next winter. Cannot count my chickens before they hatch, but it may look like we will have our first kiwi out of the yard this year. Also hoping to have my first avocado(s), but do not know if anything is pollinating the flowers, which seem to be open only one day and then are gone. Lucky for the tree, there are lots of flowers!! The citrus trees are looking to be loaded. The biggest bloom I have ever seen is about to happen.

Speaking of citrus...the lemon. It is all we are going harvest for the next few weeks. After the mandarins, oranges, and grapefruit are gone, my body seems to still crave the daily vitamin C fix, so I take two lemons, squeeze them and put that into a pitcher of water. No sugar, just lemon and water. Quite refreshing and it really makes you feel good.

An five-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 86 ($43.00)
Oranges: 8 ($4.00)
Grapefruit: 5 ($5.00)
Salad Greens: 5 salads


Year 2, Day 262
Gone

Year 2, Day 263
Gone

Year 2, Day 264
1) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 265
1) 5 lemons
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 2 oranges
4) salad greens

Year 2, Day 266
1) 10 lemons
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 3 oranges
4) salad greens

Year 2, Day 267
1) 1 lemon
2) 1 orange
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 268
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 269
1) salad greens

Year 2, Day 270
1) 6 lemons
2) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 271
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 272
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 273
1) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 274
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 275
1) 2 lemons
2) salad greens

Year 2, Day 276
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 277
1) 5 lemons

Year 2, Day 278
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 279
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 280
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 281
1) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 282
1) 6 lemons

Year 2, Day 283
1) salad greens

Year 2, Day 284
1) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 285
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 286
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 287
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 288
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 289
1) 5 lemons
2) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 290
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 291
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 292
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 293
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 294
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 295
1) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 296
1) 3 lemons

Five-Week harvest: $57.00
Total Produce Harvested : $3021.25
Total Honey Harvested: $360.00
Expenses: $370.00 (seeds, lettuce, fertilizer)

Days 571 - 626 Spring Back

Spring is back!! It really never quite felt like winter this year with 70 degree temperatures in the middle of winter and very little rain (until this week!!)

As we wind down the citrus harvest over the next couple of weeks, we will start to see the stone fruit start to develop and grow. Right now it looks like a large Aprium crop is coming and if the Peaches and Nectarines got pollinated before this rain, they too will have large crops. There sure were a lot of blossoms!! And the bees were out working early with all of the warm weather.

The pears and apples are still in the process of flowering. The Asian Pear tree is in full flower and I am hoping that the Bartlett flowers before the Asian Pear drops its flowers...since a pollinator is needed for both. The Cherry tree and the apple trees are just about to explode. I see the citrus trees blooming soon too. Hope there are some breaks in this rainy pattern so that they set a good crop too.

In the veggie garden, I took out the Kale and we now have lettuce starts, a bed of chard, and a bed of beets. Add that to the garlic which is doing really well this year and it looks to be a fine April/May. This is the time of the year when we run out of oranges and grapefruit, so the veggie garden needs to kick in soon.

I have to say, it is pretty cool that we have been harvesting citrus for 4 months solid and fruit since June 1st!! That is 10 months of uninterrupted fruit harvest. I feel spoiled :)

Hope to update this a bit more frequently in the future. Every 4 weeks seems fair...I was a slacker with this eight week delay!!

An eight-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 56 ($28.00)
Mandarins: 161 ($40.25)
Oranges: 154 ($77.00)
Grapefruit: 41 ($41.00)
Salad Greens: 1 salad

Year 2, Day 206
1) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 207
1) 1 orange
2) 8 mandarins

Year 2, Day 208
1) 2 oranges
2) 7 mandarins

Year 2, Day 209
1) 2 oranges
2) 6 mandarins
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 210
1) 2 oranges
2) 4 mandarins

Year 2, Day 211
1) 1 orange
2) 2 mandarins
3) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 212
1) 2 oranges
2) 4 mandarins
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 213
1) 3 oranges
2) 4 mandarins

Year 2, Day 214
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 mandarins
3) 3 lemons
4) salad greens

Year 2, Day 215
1) 2 oranges
2) 4 mandarins

Year 2, Day 216
1) 2 oranges
2) 15 mandarins

Year 2, Day 217
1) 5 oranges
2) 5 mandarins
3) 3 lemons
4) salad greens

Year 2, Day 218
1) 2 oranges
2) 6 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 219
1) 3 oranges
2) 22 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 220
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 221
1) 3 oranges
2) 6 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 222
1) 2 oranges
2) 18 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 223
1) 3 oranges
2) 6 mandarins

Year 2, Day 224
1) 2 oranges
2) 5 mandarins
3) 2 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 225
1) 2 oranges
2) 10 mandarins
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 226
1) 2 oranges
2) 4 mandarins
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 227
1) 4 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 228
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 mandarins

Year 2, Day 229
1) 7 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 2 mandarins

Year 2, Day 230
1) 4 oranges

Year 2, Day 231
1) 4 oranges
2) 2 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 232
1) 5 oranges
2) 3 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit
4) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 233
1) 7 oranges
2) 5 mandarins

Year 2, Day 234
1) 3 oranges
2) 5 mandarins
3) 2 bunches kale

Year 2, Day 235
1) 4 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 236
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 mandarins
3) salad greens

Year 2, Day 237
1) 5 oranges

Year 2, Day 238
1) 4 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 239
1) 3 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 240
1) 3 oranges
2) 4 lemons

Year 2, Day 241
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 mandarins

Year 2, Day 242
1) 4 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 243
1) 4 oranges
2) 3 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 244
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 245
1) 6 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 246
1) 3 oranges

Year 2, Day 247
1) 1 grapefruit
2) 3 lemons
3) 3 bunches kale

Year 2, Day 248
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 6 lemons

Year 2, Day 249
1) 1 orange
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 250
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 251
1) 1 orange
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 252
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 253
1) 1 orange
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 254
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 5 lemons

Year 2, Day 255
1) 1 orange
2) 2 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 256
1) 5 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 257
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 258
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 259
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 260
1) 1 orange
2) 2 grapefruit

Year 2, Day 261
1) 2 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 3 lemons

Eight-Week harvest: $187.25

Total Produce Harvested : $2964.25
Total Honey Harvested: $360.00
Expenses: $370.00 (seeds, lettuce, fertilizer)

Days 543 - 570 Year-to-Year Variation

Harvesting mandarins every day for the past 4 weeks is pretty amazing...and although it may seem like we have harvested a lot of mandarins this year, we really have only harvested about 1/2 of what we did last year. Now, last year was a bumper crop of 1127 mandarins and this year is "only" at 582 with probably 100 or so more on the tree.

Which brings me to year-to-year variation and why it is a good thing to have a variety of different types of produce growing in the yard. Some years may be great for the apples but low for the grapes (this year) and others may be just the opposite. By doing this blog, it has me keeping track of all this and I am looking forward to what ten years might look like.

Since the last post, I tallied up what has come out of our little yard and it is pretty amazing. Here you are with the totals and in parenthesis are year1 + year2 quantities. Citrus year 2 numbers are not complete. You can see the affect the late rains had last year, particularly with the grapes and peaches.

Strawberries: 36 baskets (30 + 6)
Blueberries: 28 baskets (9 + 19)
Raspberries: 24 baskets (10 + 14)
Apriums: 10 (9 + 1)
Nectarines: 7 (3 + 4)
Zuchini: 103 (62 + 41)
Cherry Tomatoes: 29 baskets (8 + 21)
Peaches: 230 (161 + 69)
Tomatoes: 277 (133 + 144)
Pears: 304 (66 + 238)
Asian Pears: 12 (0 + 12)
Pickles: 16 lbs (11 + 5)
Cucumbers: 154 (62 + 92)
Grapes: 68 lbs (49 + 19)
Apples: 579 (79 + 500)
Chard: 77 bunches (77 + 0)
Figs: 297 (74 + 223)
Mandarins: 1709 (1127 + 582)
Limes: 36 (25 + 11)
Oranges: 162 (157 + 5) (2nd year not complete)
Grapefruit: 29 (29 + 0) (2nd year not complete)
Lemons: 361 (307 + 54) (2nd year not complete)
Kale: 53 bunches (27 + 26)
Garlic: 87 (87 + 0) (2nd year not complete)
Salad Greens: 17 (16 + 1) (2nd year not complete)
Beets: 51 (51 + 0) (2nd year not complete)

A four-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Lemons: 12 ($6.00)
Limes: 1 ($0.25)
Mandarins: 323 ($80.75)
Apples: 1 ($0.50)
Oranges: 5 ($2.50)
Salad Greens: 1 salad

Year 2, Day 178
1) 15 mandarins

Year 2, Day 179
1) 9 mandarins
2) 1 lime
3) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 180
1) 10 mandarins
2) 1 apple (last)

Year 2, Day 181
1) 8 mandarins

Year 2, Day 182
1) 14 mandarins

Year 2, Day 183
1) 4 mandarins
2) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 184
1) 20 mandarins

Year 2, Day 185
1) 12 mandarins
2) 3 lemons

Year 2, Day 186
1) 10 mandarins

Year 2, Day 187
1) 19 mandarins

Year 2, Day 188
1) 14 mandarins

Year 2, Day 189
1) 15 mandarins
2) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 190
1) 9 mandarins
2) 3 lemons
3) Salad Greens

Year 2, Day 191
1) 14 mandarins
2) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 192
1) 11 mandarins

Year 2, Day 193
1) 10 mandarins

Year 2, Day 194
1) 10 mandarins

Year 2, Day 195
1) 8 mandarins

Year 2, Day 196
1) 12 mandarins
2) 1 lemon

Year 2, Day 197
1) 5 mandarins

Year 2, Day 198
1) 13 mandarins

Year 2, Day 199
1) 20 mandarins
2) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 200
1) 14 mandarins
2) 1 orange
3) 2 lemons

Year 2, Day 201
1) 14 mandarins

Year 2, Day 202
1) 5 mandarins
2) 1 orange

Year 2, Day 203
1) 10 mandarins

Year 2, Day 204
1) 8 mandarins

Year 2, Day 205
1) 10 mandarins
2) 1 orange

Four-Week harvest: $91.00

Total Produce Harvested : $2777.00
Total Honey Harvested: $360.00
Expenses: $350.00 (purchase an Apricot Tree)