This could be seen as a “sad” time of year in the garden as everything dies back. However, due to our typically mild winters (we often have no freezes) I can plant a winter garden. So far, I have planted snap peas, Romaine and buttercrunch lettuce and purple broccoli. I have only emptied one bin because it is so hard for me to take out plants that look so sad but are still producing!
For example there are two cucumbers still very slowly growing, and four yellow squash. The squash even has two flowers. It is a huge plant but I can’t take it out because…production! And there are four honeydew fruits that might still make it and a couple butternut. So these huge plants are still there while Im waiting to plant some winter greens/lettuces! The problem is that as soon as we go below 40F, those squash plants will soften up (yuck squishy) and die within 24 hours. So it is just a race right now! I also need the days to stay at least high 50’s so the lettuces will germinate. Gaaa….
The pepper and tomatillos are still going strong. Depending on how cold we get this winter, the peppers might pull through to next spring. That would be nice because they’d come into production early. I have trouble actually starting pepper plants! We have so many tomatillos though, but luckily they last a bit so Matt can make salsas with them.
I did empty out the zucchini/Delicata bin and plant the snap peas, Romaine, butter crunch, purple broccoli and some broccoli rabe. The peas and broccoli have sprouted. I hope the crazy rain expected this next week doesn’t damage them! Gabe and I also planted some red onions in canvas bags to put into the permanent garden so hopefully they sprout some time soon. He was excited to help me. We are also getting raspberries still from these “three” starts we planted two years ago. Two of the plants have a lot of berries ripening and still flowering. I think that will stop quickly as we get into the low 40s overnight next week.
The orchard is winding down but we did get 2 pomegranates and the mandarins/oranges are starting to ripen! We still haven’t replanted where the apple tree died or added a peach/nectarine tree. We also need to find some fire light resistant pears. I also haven’t planted a dwarf lemon or cherry tree on our area of the property. Getting there. Jenny and Matt have started tilling and growing a cover crop on the old arena for her market flower garden to be planted next spring. She pulled out the eggplants (they were looking pretty sad) but still harvests the zinnias that remain.
So the earth continues to turn and the cycles keep coming. We are definitely into the autumnal season now with winter fast approaching. It is supposed to be a wet winter so we shall see how it goes!