I spent a good bit of time in the garden this weekend. There is never a dull moment as we move closer to the first frost in October. Summer plants are beginning to come to the end of their cycles. The fall crops are beginning to thrive with cooler evenings. As the days get shorter, the list of garden chores get more intense.
Here’s a basic rundown:
- Harvested sweet potatoes–I could have held out another week and may have gotten a little larger potaoes, but they may have been more infested with bugs and grubs. I think I spent $5 dollars on the plants and it appears that I may have gotten $25 dollars worth of potatoes. (We tried a couple fresh on Saturday night and they were very good.)
- Harvested winter squash- I had three winter squash plants, and two of them were beginning to show signs of mildew. The third still has a couple of squash on the vine. I went ahead and picked the three DelIcata and five Sweet Lightning squash. We ate one of the Delicata squash at dinner Saturday–a green meat inside–and tasty.
- Harvested turnip greens- i may have let them get a little old, and shouldhave thinned them to get bigger roots, but they were very tasty.
- Harvested bok choi- There were a number of plants that had gotten seriously bug eaten, but they began to produce some nice leaves on the inside–I picked enough for a meal–one of my disappointing crops.
- More tomatoes than I can shake a stick at
(NOTE for future gardens–the late August days were full of insects that tortured cole crops–but as the nights chilled in early September–my last transplants were fine—Remember to spray Neem and keep close watch in late summer for cole crop insects)
On Sunday afternoon, I planted some more beds–mostly where other crops had been picked or failed. I have these more of these crops going now:
- Turnips
- Kale
- Beets
- Spinach
And for dinner tonight–chicken and rice, with turnip greens and tomato salad.
The three days leading up to an equinox are known as “ember days” on the Church Calendar.
These are days of prayer and recognition that the seasons are changing. The fall equinox is scheduled for about 11 AM on September 22nd–give or take some minutes.
In some traditions, the ember days are a time for discernment of pastoral calling and there are distinct liturgies for those to be ordained and consecrated.
These days also have links to agricultural practices and prayers for the seasonal crops.
There are many fascinating things to read about the ember days if you have the time.
On this ember day, I spent a few minutes in my garden at lunch. I discovered numerous tomatoes that had been hiding from me. Some were fully ripe and had been hanging in thick leaves. They will be eaten sooner rather than later.
Tomorrow, sweet potatoes will be harvested, as will some of the winter squash.
These are days of harvest and reflection…and thanksgiving.
42. For the Harvest of Lands and Waters
O gracious Father, who openest thine hand and fillest all
things living with plenteousness: Bless the lands and waters,
and multiply the harvests of the world; let thy Spirit go
forth, that it may renew the face of the earth; show thy
loving-kindness, that our land may give her increase; and
save us from selfish use of what thou givest, that men and
women everywhere may give thee thanks; through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The beginning of fall is starting to make its way to the mountains. The days may still be warm, but the evenings are cooling off. Cabbage and broccoli are thriving with the cooler evenings. My lettuce plants are responding with vigor as are the turnips and Swiss chard. The last days of summer are difficult for fall crops, but if they can weather the dry heat, they will reward us in the cooler days ahead.
One of my readers requested a report on the bean crop. They produced solid for about two weeks prior to getting the rains of Hurricane Fay. Every day we went out to the garden, there were more beans to pick. We put away a number of pounds for the winter, gave bags away to neighbors and friends. After the soaking, the plants were spent and yielded one more picking of about eight pounds. It was about as good an investment as I have ever made in my life–a pound of seeds yielding 30-35 pounds of edible Roma beans. (If only our investment accounts did so well.)
The tomatoes have been prolific. We have eaten them sliced, in salads, and made sauce with them. There is nothing like a fresh tomato picked from your own backyard. Our window sills have been full of tomatoes for weeks. The fluctuations in rain have yielded less than perfect looking fruit, but we can’t complain about taste or texture. We won’t get any blue ribbons at the county fair, but we won’t be lacking tomato sandwiches for awhile.
This is my last column before the first expected frost (usually around October 8th here in Waynesville), so if you are interested in extending your season, now is the time to begin planning. I have taken some steps to keep the garden producing a while longer.
Constructing a hoop house- I am in the process of building a 10′ x 12′ unheated structure that will protect plants through some of the colder weather. The plastic, PVC pipe, wood and hardware cost me around $100 dollars with some leftover plastic for other projects. I have revised some plans that I found online and built one specifically for my garden. (Details will be available at blueridgegardener.info in the coming weeks)
Floating row cover- it goes by a number of brand names (e.g. Reemay, Covertan) but in general it is a lightweight cloth made of poly fibers that help shield plants from cooler temperatures. If applied correctly, the row cover can keep plants from freezing when the thermometer dips to 30 degrees or lower. Theoretically, I can use the hoop house in conjunction with the row cover and extend crops well into winter.
The Haywood County Fair is scheduled for September 22-29. Every gardener should plan a visit to check out the vegetable competitions. Seeing what other folks have done in their gardens might be the inspiration you need for yours. I find these displays informative, giving me insights into what varieties of vegetables produce the best in this county. Sometimes I am convinced to try a new crop or a new variety by seeing it on display at the fair.
See you at the fair!
(This article was published in The Guide-September 17, 2008)
Today on the Episcopal Calendar is the recognition of Hildegard of Bingen.
She was a visionary nun born in 1098 and served in the church until her death on this date in 1179.
She wrote over 90 poems and 9 books. She was known for her inspiring sermons as well as her musical abilities. She was a transforming agent in that time period and has become more popular in the past 30 years.
Her theology was wholistic in nature and emphasized that the church should focus on the whole person and that issues of body, mind and spirit are not to be separated.
What does she have to do with gardening?
She was one of those shining lights in the church that gave value to the common and the ordinary–things like seeds and soil, and those who tilled the soil for a living. In her writings she talks about the life of prayer and theology being similar to the life and work of ordinary people–priests and peasants are equals in the work of God.
I know what it is like to be both priest and peasant–and there is something very prayerful about tending a garden, and something very profound about eating a homegrown tomato in September that was started by seed in April.