Tag Archives: Plantains

Summer Kitchen Garden

Garden, Kitchen, Plantains, ,

DSC06624 Trimmed plantains at the beginning of the summer.  I like their filtered light.  We have just two small clusters so far this year.

DSC06617 A lime growing on our key lime tree.  Last year we did not get any limes.  The tree has grown quite tall, so we will not be able to reach all of them from the ground.  They will become available starting in about six weeks, if all goes well.

DSC06628 Our garden, in which the herbs of the spring are going to seed.  Still I could get parsley, oregano, and some pictures.  This is along the lines of what I originally wanted, a kitchen herb garden.  Right now it is rather hot, and these kinds of things do not grow so well here.  I haven’t planted anything here.  Some things came up from self seeding last year, and  I expect some will re-seed themselves for next year: cilantro, marjoram, parsley, dill, even oregano, and maybe carrots and parsnips.   The sorrel leaves are not really usable, because now the “hungry, hungry” caterpillars can eat them.

 

 

 

 

Plantains May 28, 2014

Carbon dioxide, Garden, Plantains, , ,

DSC02750 Some of those frozen dead plantain stems are being overtaken by their living cores, leaving dry, tan  debris hanging underneath the newly sprouting green tops.  I wish I had cut out more of the dead stems while they were not covered up by living leaves, but am glad for what I did get done.   The plantains grow from the center out, and the centers of some of the thicker ones survived, and have begun growing.   Also those corms which had formed underground are now sprouting.

In addition to the dead stems, I will cut out the tallest plantains soon which are located in the patch in the back and on the right,  and thereby reduce the garden shade a bit in the coming months, though plantains are not the only source of shade for the vegetable garden.   The houses, other trees, and other vegetation contribute to shade. I am way behind in making compost and mulch out of the  plantain leaves and stems, but I am confident that  both are high quality, the result of fixed and held carbon dioxide and other nutrients.

We will not have many plantains this year because it takes at least 15 months for them to bear fruit.  Next year we should have many again, if we are spared a freeze in the coming winter.

As I learn, I am rethinking the emphasis that this garden should take.   When I saw plantains in the store last week they were $0.60 +  each, I realized that plantains are by far our most  monetarily rewarding  and dependable crop, and aside from the patch grooming, require no effort  or cash input on our part.   Our garden emphasis will surely change year by year. 

 

 

Plantains Disassembled For Compost and Mulch

Garden, ,

DSC01779 I am making mulch from the plantains.

The truth is that I cannot put soft stems or leaves into the chipper/shredder,  and no sticks wider than 1 1/2 inches.  Today I chopped up soft stems, pealed the tattered leaf sides off, and placed both of these kinds of materials into the compost.  I am finding that I have more green compost than I thought I would have.

I chipped the dry stems, and will use this as mulch, along with some of the hand chopped wet stems.