HAPPY AUTUMN!
Today is the first official day of autumn in the United States, though you'd hardly recognize it outside my door. We're still earning record warm temperatures in our county. However, those nice Fall winds are helping to cool the sun's heat finally. I'm ready for the weather to change so I can rip out the rest of my spent plants and prep the beds for cover crops.
My tomato plants are still going strong. I am harvesting a 5 gallon bucket full every other day or so now of the beefsteaks and cherry tomatoes, but the San Marzano paste tomatoes have been a huge disappointment. They taste phenomenal, but they take FOREVER to ripen. I'll buy them instead of growing them next year and use that space for something more productive.
Surprisingly, there are still blossoms and young fruit on my eggplants, They're so delicate and we have had some cold nights. The armenian cucumber vines have succumbed, and they're pretty much finished, The butternut squash plant continues to crawl allover the walkways laden with squash.
I guess I need to find a recipe to can them, quick. I pulled up lots of red and white bulb onions to dry this week. I still need to harvest my big pumpkins and arrange them at the front door for decorations.
This weekend I canned another batch of tomato soup for my husband, it's his favorite. I am still enjoying those nectarine fruit leathers I dehydrated back in June. Our friends gave me a few bags full of great canning jars, so I am sure that I will have enough jars to finish my tomato harvest this year, the only thing I am worried about now is finding the space to store them. My hutch is full now, and that bright red larder is almost full too. I wonder if I can store canned food safely inside my garage if I keep it above freezing this winter???
I hope your garden is still providing you with a bountiful harvest and inspiration for next spring. It's your turn to link up and share your garden progress. Remember, you are welcome to share anything garden related, tours of your garden plots and/or greenhouse, garden art, recipes made with your harvest, helpful gardening tips, harvest decor, etc. I look forward to reading your posts. Thanks!
Have a GREAT week!
Heidi
Only a few of my San Marzano have ripened, but they've done better than my Martina's Romas. Those didn't turn at all last year. I'm looking for the shortest growing season varieties I can find in the future!
ReplyDeleteMy potatoes were lovely, but low in yield... would love suggestions on increasing the production. Very disappointed this year. Pumpkins and squash... now those went to town!
My chard, kale, carrots, parsnips, beets, radishes, lettuce, sugar snaps, and arugula are in (along with some left over onions). I'm going to see how late I can garden this year.
Hi Amy,
DeleteI am with you on tomatoes next year, short season only. Your garden looked amazing when I dropped by last. I hope you can keep your harvest going through the cold. We covered some beds with 4mil plastic over hoops last winter and had good success until we forgot to close the ends one night... Have a great week.
It's those "one night" episodes that get me every time. And the shameful thing is... I usually think about it around 10:30 and I'm too tired to get up and go out in the dark and cold to cover something. I try to convince myself that it won't be that bad (LOL!). Doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteHi Heidi,
ReplyDeleteI love your new header and blog design! It feels like fall! I've harvested all of my tomatoes.. beefsteak, golden cherry, ace and my heirlooms. My cherry tomatoes didn't do much of anything but everything else did great! I've made a few batches of homemade garden sauce and my first ever tomato soup. It's our favorite too. I'll be working on clearing out the cut flower garden over the next couple of weeks and topping the soil with some wood chips and leaves as they fall... And then I'll have to dig up all 50 of my dahlia plants so the tubers can winter over in the basement. Its' been a wonderful growing season here in New England except my squash plants weren't that great this year... I did get loads of cucumbers from our garden at the cottage though. :) Thanks for hosting and Happy Fall to you and Jerry! Have a great week!
Hello Deb!
DeleteYour gardens have both been very productive. Dahlia tuber digging sounds fun. Happy Fall to you too.