September in the Garden

[Gina]

It's been a very nice year in the garden. Not too hot, not too cold, and with nice veggies, good fruits, and even a few flowers. But summer is winding down, and it's time to switch gears.

We can garden year-round here, but the veggies are different varieties. I just planted peas in pony packs this morning. I've also planted seeds of bok choi, spinach, baby bok choi, mibuna, and a few other greens. Also broccoli. And of course more lettuce. It's hot today (mid 80*s) so I have had to mist and cover the tender lettuce with shade cloth.

Since we only get a light frost once every 15 years or so, I'm also experimenting with fall/winter zucchini and cucumbers, and planted more seed of each. I have 4 young zucchini planted in 15 gallon pots in a rich mix where they get full sun. They are doing very well and already are well over 16 inches across with baby flowers visible. And another 5 seedlings that need to get a bit larger before transplanting. Also 6 'cool breeze' cukes in 5 gallon pots. I figure in the black plastic pots with the walls of the sun-drenched house behind them, they might do better. I've seen local commerical fields of producing zucchini at the end of October in the next (colder) valley, and mine will be more protected. They all could just go 'splat!'.... !Splat! (lordy - that's a big smilie!!! Must be genetically modified.) but you don't know unless you try. :D

What's going on in your garden right now?

[Rosemary]

Still picking cucumbers & squash. Our apples (a late-season variety) are turning red and will be ready to start picking in another week or two. I have some peas and beans in but they're not flowering much due to too much shade.

[herbgeek]

Most of the summer crop has been harvested, and am putting in greens and brassicas for the fall. I have my row covers set up now with Agribon (fabric) and will replace with greenhouse plastic later in the season. While I have been able to harvest /something/ most years until Thanksgiving, I'd like to have more available. Last year I had a great crop of kale, until the deer decided they liked it, which is another reason for the covers.

[Marianne]

I'm still getting tomatoes, but they have really slowed down. Tons of green ones on the vines! But that's about it here. If I'd get it in gear, I'll plant Chinese cabbage today.

[CathyA]

Gina, I'm envious of your year-round growing season!
DH and I fantasize about having a greenhouse some day.........but out here where we get a fair number of power failures in the winter, we'd need a pretty big back-up system.

My garden is still making a couple tomatoes. Still trying to get those green beans to grow! Cucs were going great guns, but it looks like the leaves got the wilt and are dying rapidly. My butternut squash are slowly turning tan, while their leaves are slowly dying. Peppers are doing okay.
This year was great for the volunteer elderberries, but I didn't get my act together enough to pick them and make jelly. At least the birds are enjoying them (and leaving purple poop everywhere...hahaha).
I always feel a sense of sadness and loss when my garden stops producing. :(

[jania]

Tuesday I moved one of my raised beds as I'm anticipating planting a tree come fall. I purchased seeds last week and will plant probably the last week of September: Lettuces, beets, snow peas, kale, spinach and swiss chard. We've still got temps in the 100's....

[Gardenarian]

Yes, lots of green tomatoes. We have had little heat this summer (Northern CA) and about the only thing that did really well were all the wild Blackberries! Apples are also looking good, but late. We had a false summer in January and ended up with almost no plums, apricots, etc.

I'm doing a lot of clean up and preparing one raised bed for a late crop of greens.

We're going to try straw bale planting in the spring, so I'm on the hunt for straw bales now (they should be easier to come by after Halloween.)

I'm trying to find someone who will deliver a couple of yards of compost, but having difficulty with this.

[KayLR]

Tomatoes (cherry and great big ol Early Girl), basil, peppers and corn. Makes for a yummy salad! I'm planning on putting up corn relish next weekend.

[Gina]

I'm trying to find someone who will deliver a couple of yards of compost, but having difficulty with this.
If you don't have a problem with 'city' compost, and if in your location they collect separate trash and green waste, call your local trash Co. and ask them if they sell and deliver compost. In our area they deliver mulch with only a $30 to $40 delivery charge for a small dump truck load - 6 yrds? Well worth it. They also were going to be selling sifted compost starting this year, but I haven't talked to them yet. Depending on cost, I'm planning on spreading that thick over the garden beds this winter.


Gina, I'm envious of your year-round growing season!
I do appreciate it, but sometimes I just need a break and take the winter off.

Even though we can grow things year round, that mainly is the winter crops - lettuce, chard, peas, etc. And things generally grow much more slowly because it's not as warm, the days are much shorter, and even when the sun is shining, it's at such a low angle, it's not as effective. It is nice however not worrying about frost dates either at the end or beginning of the growing seasons.

I just finished sifting the mix and transplanting the 5 remaining seedlings of experimental 'winter' zucchini into 15 gallon pots. There are now a total of 9 in full sun. We will see.