A Bountiful Harvest
Follow these tips to produce bigger, better veggies:
Triple your asparagus bounty. If your area enjoys mild summers, you can stretch asparagus season into the fall. Start by planting them in a large, rectangular bed. In the early spring, harvest only from the first third of the patch. Let the other two-thirds grow ferny. In eight weeks, switch to the second third. Cut off the wispy growth and harvest the new shoots. Let the section you picked first grow full-size fronds to feed its roots for next year. Finally, cut down and harvest the last patch in mid-summer. You should be able to bite into tender stalks until frost sends the plant into hiding.
Extend sprout harvest. Once brussel sprouts start developing, speed up the harvest by picking off all the leaves on the bottom 7 inches of the central stalk. Just remember to leave some at the top to nourish the plant. The cabbage will immediately put all its energy into growing taller and producing more sprouts. Keep picking and pruning until winter puts and end to the harvest.
Excerpt from FC&A’s 1,001 Gardening Secrets.
