After my trip to Denver, all kinds of things have happened in my life and in the garden. I am catching up, at least from this point on a Tuesday.
Weather comments:
This has been a period of cool and rain that I have not experienced for some time.
Since September 15, I have dumped over 12 inches of rain out of my gauge. We have had two frosts, and my water buckets iced over the past two days. The temperatures will get up into the 70′s tomorrow, and we are having a gorgeous fall day in the mid-60′s today–the past few nights have been frigid.
It appears that we will have warmer days for the next 10 days or so, and I will get my fall/winter garden projects done before more winter-like weather sets in.
Garden notes:
All of the tender plants are gone. We harvested the last of the peppers, basil and winter squash on Sunday. The frost got the pumpkin vines on Monday morning, and I am left with one big pumpkin about 80 pounds and 3 pumpkins that are about 10 pounds each. We are hoping that the smaller pumpkins will yield some nice seeds to dry, and maybe some fruit for pumpkin soup. We are not sure what we will find in the big one.
We have plenty of hardy crops that are plugging along- Swiss chard, kale, mustard, turnips and lettuces that are doing well. Many of the herbs that are in the boxes/planters are perennials–rosemary, lemon balm, tarragon, chives, peppermint, thyme, sage and parsley. I am planning to mulch them over the winter.
I didn’t get my garlic planted yet, but it will go in the next few days. I had great success with last fall’s planting, and look forward to another year. My Italian wife has already gone through everything we harvested this summer (and she admits that she gave a bunch away as well). I will be planting a bed that should give us 4 dozen bulbs next summer.
The hoop house will go up this weekend, and I will experiment with some indoor crops this winter–we’ll see what the weather brings.
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.
I have been out of town much of the week. On Tuesday I flew into Denver for a conference dealing with crime victims with disabilities. I flew back to NC on Saturday. I spent a bit of time in the garden on Saturday afternoon, not much this afternoon, and I have plans for tomorrow afternoon if the weather holds.
Some reports:
- We had some very cold nights this past week. One night dipped to below 40 degrees. The grass barely grew in the past week. The garden is showing signs of cold weather.
- The big pumpkin was not ready for the fair. It was way too mis-colored on one side. It did not get much heavier than 70 pounds, but it is still the biggest pumpkin I have ever grown. It will make a nice jack-o-lantern or yard ornament for the fall.
- The tomato vines are officially spent, as are the cucumbers. Fall crops like kale, chard, lettuce, etc. are looking great.
- The strawberries are looking great and are even putting out some late, stray blooms. I am plucking all of the blooms and looking forward to next summer.
- It is time to get the hoop house up, take down trellises and start preparing for the winter.
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