Last of the Broccoli

[aem]

Here in SoCal the so-called winter has been warm and dry, but still good for what we think of as cool season crops. This last hot spell (high 70's, low 80's) has ended my broccoli for the year. It was already down to the smaller side heads and they were all about to bolt so I cut them yesterday. Ate about a third of it last night, mostly thin tender stalks needing no peeling, just some little florets. I steamed them for 3 minutes, drained and cooled. Then when the rest of the meal was ready, tossed the broccoli in butter, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. I know we usually value the florets, but these young stalks were utterly delicious.

Now shall I try to get another cool season veggie in the vacated space, or should I wait a few weeks for an early sowing of something for the summer season? -aem

[newgardener]

You could try both, using something that comes up quick--leaf lettuce from a store-bought 6-pack, radishes (30 days to maturity from seed), brocolli rabe (45 days to stalk harvest from seed--might be simliar to what you just ate), spinach (about 50 days).

The wholel planet's weather is screwed up this year. My theory is that it is a combination of global warming and also some transients left over from the 2004 Tsunami earthquake, that increased the earth's rotation 3 millionths of a second and shifted the rotational axis by about 3/4 of an inch (similar to a skater pulling in arms to spin faster). That is, I think the ocean currents have been screwed up by these factors and that is why the weather is wacky.

With that in mind I suspect that we aren't going to have many frost days this year, you might try planting some summer stuff now, especially if you have a frost blanket to cover it if there are a few random frost days. I don't think we're going to see weeks of frostyness as we have in some past years. (I'm NE of Salinas).

I have started basil and peppers in peat pots already because I think we're going to have an prolonged spring/early summer this year. But I'm thinking about putting out another crop of quinoa (a cold-season crop) because I think it won't get hot enough to ruin it until June or so.

[Nicole H]

[aem]

You know, I think I will too. It will be the earliest I've ever started but it'll only be for a little more than half my small space. I've already harvested a lot of really good eats for this cool season and still have peapods bearing and beets, carrots, spinach and lettuces thriving. So I guess I'll mix in some compost, maybe a little manure, fiddle with the soaker hoses and figure out where I'm going to plant what. And if we get a cold spell with a lot of rain, well, so what, I'll do it again. -aem