Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Garden Finale


THE GARLIC IS IN!! Eight rows of cloves from three different varieties, phew! We had our water heater go and woke up to a wet basement Saturday morning. This was followed by a new television purchase which required some weekend warrior type work before it could be installed, so the garlic once again went on the back burner. While sowing the cloves I realized they are all soft neck, so no yummy garlic scapes from my garden next summer. (Me pouting.)

The predicted low temperature for this evening is a crisp 32 degrees, so all that was harvestable was harvested. Many fruits were not mature- eggplant, winter squash, and melons. Many of the vines were dying so there was no sense in leaving them. The largest of the muskmelons had begun to rot (top right in the photo) and I could smell it's sweet aroma as I approached the trellis. Too bad we never got to sample any of the many, many melons that eventually began to grow. Rumor has it an immature winter squash can taste better than summer squash so I will put this theory to the test and let you all know what the verdict is. The potato bed was harboring some renegade potatoes, the roots kept putting out tubers with out any foliage. The former tomato bed is littered with tomato seedlings which I find interesting since the seeds I sowed are no where to be found aside from a few fortunate spinach survivors. Go figure.

I decided to pull up my Carmen pepper plants and hang them in the basement. Why you ask? I believe I read one can do this somewhere in an effort to ripen them further. I am hoping so since there are at least a dozen peppers there. Have I completely lost it?!?!


4 comments:

Thomas said...

Kelly- sorry to hear about your melons. Hopefully, your peppers will ripen nicely. I have yet to plant my garlic...Hopefully, I will get around to it this weekend.

I feel like we need to catch up on our fall sowings! Did you ever plant any of the seeds I sent you??? My chard is still tiny. The kale is actually doing pretty good under cover. And my potted Rouge D'Hiver lettuce is taking off!

(Oh, I sowed some mache like a week and a half ago yet still no signs of life...frustrating).

Fill me in on what's going on under your cold frame and your napoli carrots!

Ruth Trowbridge said...

you are just an awesome gardener, what will you find to do with yourself when the snow flies? peace for all

Kelly said...

Ruralrose, you are too sweet!

Thomas- I am a bit embaressed to admit nothing is in the coldframe, it is still sitting outside....but not where it belongs.

I planted lots a seeds many weeks back, including some that you sent and I have had very low germination and/or lots of destruction with all but the Napoli Carrots, and Rouge.

Looking as though I will not have many fall/winter greens aside from the rouge which I wil lprobably cover with one of the cold frames soon. We are due for 4 days of rsain so frost is not a threat.

Erin said...

I figured you would beat me to the garlic punch for sure, but mine went in last week, lol! Good luck during this rain spell... I am hoping my stuff doesn't wash away this week!