Zone 10a Vegetable Harvest Time


Harvesting what you planted is a great joy! Just a couple of days ago I harvested some of my mustard greens. I planted these back in October 2017. I have already had three harvests. Of course, I only planted enough to make for my family. In zone 10a vegetable harvest time isn’t always the same.

Because of our warmer weather harvesting your vegetables varies from what you planted two or three months prior. For me are my mustard greens, cilantro, and moringa flowers.

I used my raised garden bed, my husband, made for me. So convenience no bending, no kneeling, and the best is no, bad bugs. I can get rid of aphids naturally with dish soap and water right before harvesting what I need for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Mustard greens

Fresh picked mustard greens

These are my mustard greens. You can get the seeds online or purchased them at your local nursery, Home Depot, Lowes, or Wal-Mart. They are all over the place.

They are so good in pork soup. Stir fry them with chicken breast and add shiitake mushroom for flavor and toss in some cilantro and green onions for the smell and popping flavors. For vegan or vegetarians try boiling them with tofu, yum. Or omit the chicken and just the shiitake mushroom. Or stir-fry them with mung bean sprouts. So delicious.

Pork soup with mustard greens

Rhubarb

When I finish harvesting my greens I read somewhere that rhubarb is hard to grow and it takes two seasons for a good harvest. I’ve decided that is the challenge I’ll take.

While my husband and I were at the tractor supply store I found a bag of rhubarb crowns. I planted those. It’s starting to come up.

Vitoria rhubarb
Rhubarb is a cold weather plant. Zone 10a has a hard time growing them if they are not in a controlled greenhouse. But, I decided why not, let’s give it a try because most of my herb that some say will never grow or thrive in this area, I just proved them wrong.

As long as you take care of them, weed, water, and cover them in the summer when temperature reaching up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit they’ll be fine. Trust me I made that mistake once a long time ago. I didn’t cover them and they fried, the end. Not really though I replant and lesson learned.

Moringa

Moringa loves the heat. This tree thrives in sandy soil and drought tolerant when established. Today I went out to check on the seed pods to see if they were ready to be harvested and stored away. Somewhere and some were young, and some just looked like it got hit by an ugly stick. I don’t know what that means, I took it off a co-worker. I thought I use it. ^^

Moringa seed pods
Spring is when the tree bloom with an abundance of white flowers. It attracts bees and hummingbirds. I love watching them collect nectar.

Moringa flowers
Just wanted to update you all on my plants. Soon I’ll be cutting my moringa trees so they can give me leaves in the summer. If you live in zone 10a, vegetable harvest time is a challenge but If you made many mistakes like I did then you have already learned when to harvest the vegetables you planted.

Got any questions or comment please write on my comment section and I’ll be glad to answer them. Go ahead challenge the unknown. Be brave. Until then take care.

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