Today is Veteran’s Day in the USA, it is also the feast day of St. Martin of Tours on the Christian calendar.
Today is also the beginning of “Indian Summer” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
St. Martin’s Day, November 11, is considered the beginning of Indian summer, a period of warm weather following a cold spell or hard frost.
Although there are differing dates for Indian summer, for more than 200 years The Old Farmer’s Almanac has adhered to the saying “If All Saints’ brings out winter, St. Martin’s brings out Indian summer.” Indian summer can occur between St. Martin’s Day and November 20.
If we don’t have a spell of fine weather during that time, there’s no Indian summer. As for the origin of the term, some say that it comes from the early Native Americans, who believed that the condition was caused by a warm wind sent from the court of their southwestern god, Cautantowwit.
Read more about Indian Summer
I am finally catching up on things after being away for a week. I plan to spend some time in the garden this evening, and have a little time to write this morning between tasks.
Evidence that fall is here in the mountains of North Carolina:
Regular morning temperatures around 40 degrees. While I was in Denver, the temperatures fell to the low 40′s a couple of times (I saw it get to 28 one day in Colorado).
Brilliant leaf color. We don’t think that the colors will be as brilliant as last year. And they have been slow to turn this year because of all the rain. But a glance at the mountains is sure to be a delight to the eyes.
Garden changes. A number of the vegetable plants have begun their last cycles of growth. On the other hand, crops like spinach, hardy lettuces, leafy greens and root crops are looking better than ever. This time of year is always a reminder that the natural world has a plan and a pattern that brings a different kind of enjoyment than the season before.
The summer may be over, and we may be due for some 40 degree nights (tonight in fact), but it is still possible to get some more growth out of the garden.
Here’s an article from the Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer (They may be in Georgia, but some of their recommendations are still possible in our protected valleys):
Keep your vegetable garden going with cool-season crops
This month is the ideal time to put in your cool-season crops, like spinach, onions, collards, garlic and kale.
TRY THESE
-Winterbor kale. This nutritious leafy green is a vigorous producer that endures winter easily, even in very cold climates. Cut the outer leaves so that the center continues growing. Space transplants about 12 inches apart
-Georgia collards. Another leafy green similar to kale, collards offer a larger, stronger, sweet cabbage-like flavor. Leaves taste best when young. Space transplants 36 inches apart.
-Romaine lettuce. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, romaine is an especially good vegetable for overall health. Space transplants 18 inches apart.
-Early Dividend broccoli. Popular, productive and easy to grow, this broccoli is high in fiber and calcium. Set transplants 18 inches apart
-Mustard greens. Offering spicy hot leaves, this is a very fast-growing, nutritious vegetable. Mustard greens always taste sweeter when nipped by frost. Space plants 12 inches apart
(This was cross-posted at: A Few Square Feet)
The summer garden is coming to an end, but there is still time to plant for the fall-winter garden…I looked back at last year’s planting schedule, and I had several crops that were just going into the ground.
We are never sure about the last frost here in the mountains (we had snow in October last year)…but there are plenty of cold hardy plants that will go well into into December. I had a number of greens that lasted into late December that were protected in the Hoop House.
Here are selections from an article i received from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in my email yesterday:
There’s still time to plant
In frost-free climates, you can plant cool-weather crops outside to harvest throughout the fall and winter. These include arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, kale, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, and turnips. Leafy herbs also do well in winter, so plant chives, cilantro, dill, and parsley.
In mild winter climates, you can plant cool-weather crops under row cover or in the hoophouse to protect them from frost. Their growth won’t be as quick as in spring because of the declining day length, but you will be able to harvest many vegetables this fall and winter. Leafy greens and root crops are easy at this time of year. Plant arugula, beets, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips.
And if you’re in a region where hard freezes are common, you can still plant under row cover and overwinter crops that will be ready to harvest early in spring. Onions and spinach will do just fine in most places, given appropriate protection. A hoophouse or Quick Hoops (see Product Spotlight at right) will give you a harvest a month ahead of spring-sown crops next year.
Read the entire article at their blog:
JSS Advantage October 2009