Harvest Monday - October 2011

The past few days have finally given us a break from the 90° temps we've been experiencing since early spring. It sure does feel good!
Here's what's in the fruit basket this week(click on the links for a full plant profile & more photos):

From upper left: Persian lime, Key lime, Glycosmis, Maypop, Starfruit, and Sweet lemon. I'm also getting a few Jaboticaba here and there.
Harvest Monday is featured on this blog on the first Monday of every month. To see what other gardeners are enjoying today, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host blog of the Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday - August 2011

Our temperatures have been running a few degrees above normal all summer and the rainfall has been below normal. Some crops have failed completely but others are still hanging in there.
Here's what's on the table this week:
Cherry tomatoes have been producing well all summer, even with the heat. I'm growing them in 10-inch pots that are under irrigation out in the nursery.

The elderberries are putting out less fruit now, but there's still enough for a small batch of jam.

The white sapote season is almost over. Just a few clusters of fruit remain on the tree.

There are plenty of strawberry guavas ready to pick every day.

Persian limes are another daily harvest...

along with the smaller, but plentiful, key limes.

The starfruit harvest seems to have started a little earlier this year. I will be picking these from now until spring (or a hard freeze).

This is the first year I've had a crop from Syzygium smithii (lilly pilly). I'll be profiling this plant soon.

I unthinkingly ate all of the ripe figs before I made my rounds with the camera, so no photos of those today. Who could resist?

To see what other gardeners are enjoying today, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host blog of the Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday - June 2011

On the first Monday of every month, I spotlight what I'm harvesting that week. I also join in on the Harvest Monday meme hosted by Daphne's Dandelions.

The severe drought we're in has adversely affected the harvests all spring. We should have received over 14 inches of rain by the end of May, but we've only had six inches.

Here's what is still producing:

Elderberries are doing well, and there is fruit to pick every day. In fact, I've been giving them away!

The White Sapote harvest season is just getting started, but the tree is loaded with fruit. I may be making White Sapote pie again this year!

This is a very ripe Persian Lime! Their season is also just getting started, and I'll be picking fresh limes over the next several months.

Valencia oranges are a late-season variety, and they are the last to be picked. They are considered the best juicing orange, but they're delicious eaten out of hand too!

In addition to the tree fruits, I've also been picking a few tomatoes here and there as they ripen. Unfortunately, our dry weather has been accompanied by high temperatures which inhibit tomato pollination. June is supposed to be our rainiest month of the year, so my fingers are crossed that the downpours will begin any day now!

Harvest Monday - May 2011

The peak citrus season is coming to an end, but I still have a few varieties left, along with an assortment of other tropical fruits. Here's what I'm picking this week:

Chickasaw plum, Surinam Cherry
Starfruit, Honeybells
Sweet Lemon, Valencia oranges
Ruby Red grapefruit, Marsh White grapefruit









Picked this week, but devoured before the photo shoot, were Cherry of the Rio Grande, and Persian limes. All of the herbs and leafy vegetables are the same as last month.
Click on any of the links above to read more about that fruit. To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host of the Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday - April 2011

On the first Monday of every month I show off what I'm eating from the garden. For today's harvest, I'm showing how everything looks as it's growing. Here's what I'm picking in the garden today:







Persian Lime, Loquat
Sweet Lemon, Kumquat
Orlando Tangelo, Valencia Orange
Honeybell, Navel Orange

Marsh Grapefruit, Ruby Red Grapefruit
Calamondin, Starfruit
Mandarin, Glycosmis








I was also picking Jaboticaba this week, but there were no ripe ones today for the photo.

Now that I'm growing potted herbs to sell at the Farm Swap Meet, I always have plenty of fresh clippings to use in the kitchen:

Parsley, Lemon Balm
Mint, Catnip
Okinawa Spinach, Cilantro
Culantro, Basil
Cuban Oregano, Greek Oregano









To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host of the weekly Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday - March 2011

This year I've been selling more of my excess fruit.  This is a shot of my sales table at the Sanford Farm Swap Meet.  In the photo you can see Marsh Grapefruit, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Orlando Tangelo, Honeybells, Navel Oranges, Mandarins, Valencia Oranges, Sweet Lemon, Meyer Lemon, and Starfruit.

I'm also harvesting Kumquats, Calamondins, Arrowroot, and some late Persian Limes.

In the herb garden, I've got Mint, Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, Culantro, Lemon Balm, Greek Oregano, and Cuban Oregano.  I harvest these at dinnertime so they go directly into whatever I'm cooking.

To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions!

Harvest Monday - February 2011

Here is what I'm harvesting this week.
First Row:  Marsh Grapefruit, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Navel Orange, Sweet Lemon, Meyer Lemon.
Second Row:  Minneola Tangelo, Orlando Tangelo, Tangerine, Mandarin.
Third Row:  Persian Lime, Key Lime, Lakeland Limequat, Kumquat, Calamondin, Starfruit, Glycosmis, Arrowroot, Pineapple.

I've been digging the Arrowroot throughout the winter as needed.  The pineapple top is showing some frost damage but the fruit is still good.
To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions.

Harvest Monday - January 2011

Pomegranate is at the top of my list for today's harvest.  This one is out of season -- the rest of my pomegranates were harvested months ago.

I'm also eating bananas that I cut just before the record-setting freezes in December.  They're small due to the extended drought we had in the fall, but still good to eat.

I'm also harvesting all of the different types of citrus that I grow:  oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, tangelos, and kumquats.  You can check out some of my previous Harvest Monday posts for photos of those.

Harvest Monday is featured here on the first Monday of every month.  To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions.

Harvest Monday - December 2010

Most of the time I harvest fruit as I'm ready to eat it, so this month I'm showing the harvest as it looks while still in the garden.  To see what other gardeners are harvesting, see Daphne's Dandelions blog.

Dwf Cavendish Banana

 Arrowroot now dormant and ready to dig

Avocado

Mandarin

Calamondin

 Carambola

 Glycosmis

Key Lime

Kumquat

Marsh Grapefruit

Minneola Tangelo

Navel Orange

Orlando Tangelo

Persian Lime

 Roselle

Ruby Red Grapefruit

Sweet Lemon

Harvest Monday - November 2010

For Harvest Monday this month, we're in a transition between warm-season crops and cool season.  We are also in the middle of a severe drought, so many of the winter tree crops may have drastically reduced yields.
Starfruit are ready by the bushel now.

I'm also picking Avocados every week, although it is a small crop this year.
I ate the last Persimmon off the tree this week and I picked the last of the Maypops. Many of these passionfruit vines are already dried up and dormant.
I'm still picking a few Persian Limes and Key Limes.  The Kumquats are ready to pick as well as some of their citrus relatives. Sweet Lemon, Minneola Tangelo, and Hamlin Oranges are all on the menu.
In the garden I'm picking green snap beans, yellow wax beans, Okinawa spinach, Cuban oregano, Italian parsley, and peppermint.
To see what gardeners everywhere are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host blog of the Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday - October

Today's harvest holds lots of deliciousness!  In the photo above, clockwise from upper left, we have Pineapple, Persimmon, Key Lime, Persian Lime, Avocado, and Passionfruit.
Big harvests are coming in for Starfruit,

and Pecans.

The squirrels have already been "testing" some of the pecans to see if they're ready.
Also on the menu this week:  Jaboticaba, Glycosmis, and Limequat.
Click on any of the highlighted fruits for a complete profile.  It's all good!

Harvest Monday is the first Monday of every month on this blog.  To see what's ready in gardens everywhere, go to Daphne's Dandelions, host blog of the Harvest Monday meme.

Harvest Monday -September

The Starfruit trees are bearing lots of fruit as their season starts in earnest this month.

Persian Limes and Key Limes are also ready in large quantities, as well as a few Limequats.

The Pineapple harvest continues and I look forward to slicing into each and every one!

A double-header!

Jaboticabas have been producing a few fruits every week all summer long.
I'm also picking a few Elderberries, Glycosmis, Cattley Guavas, Passionfruit, and Cereus fruits.

The fall vegetables are growing but haven't started producing yet.  There is still plenty of Okinawa Spinach as well as Basil, Mint, and Cuban Oregano.

To see what gardeners everywhere are harvesting this week, visit Daphne's Dandelions for the Harvest Monday meme!

Harvest Monday - August

There is plenty of fruit to eat this month.  The first Starfruit of the season fell off the tree.  I can't wait to slice into it!  This is the first of hundreds I will harvest over the next few months.

The summer fruits are coming on strong:  White Sapote, Cattley Guava,

and Persian Limes.

There are also some early Pomegranates and Macadamias.  The Jaboticaba has been producing a few fruits non-stop since late spring.

There is still a good supply of Sweet Lemons and juicy Valencia Oranges even though it is very late for them.

There are a few late Surinam Cherries if you search the trees carefully.  I also picked a banana flower bud this week for a salad.
Due to the heat, there's not much going on in the vegetable garden.  Of course, there's the ever-ready Okinawa Spinach, and a few herbs; Mint, Basil,

Parsley, and Cuban Oregano.

To see what people are harvesting elsewhere, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host site of the Harvest Monday Meme!