Western Mountains and High Plains: November

I finally saw our first snow flakes of the season yesterday afternoon falling in and around the Ft Collins area, then woke to about 25 on the thermometer and a frozen windshield this morning. I think that's the coldest night we've had yet! Full blown winter will be here soon enough.

My garden is basically done at this point. I'll go ahead and pull the remaining radish, beets, onions, kohlrabi, and a few other odds and ends that have managed to hang on through several previous frosts. I had planted some garlic in very early spring, but it mysteriously vanished. I hope to get some planted this weekend and hope it does better than my spring planting.

I've got bags of leaves and piles of grass, and manure, and tons of food scraps in the freezer to start my compost pile.

Got to 30 degrees yesterday morning with a skiff of rain Monday night. Yesterday afternoon I was watering the garlic and shallot bed and finally green shoots in almost every square. I did replant the shallots after reading the rookie topic and I did not kill them Like I thought I might. Will mulch with straw this weekend.

It is cloudy and windy and cold but no snow yet this year.  Our coldest night was last week when it got down to 17.  That was more than the greenhouse could handle.

The garlic planting forced me to do some planning for next year.  The horses and chickens have been doing garden clean up and tilling.  Now I need to really get working on some compost making.  The one small pile in the greenhouse is perking along and needs water and bonemeal (it is in next years tomato bed) and turning.

The other outstanding chore of November is to figure out where the peas will be next spring.  It is the first thing planted when the soil is often half frozen still.  So now I need that bed cleaned and compost covered and trellis moved to it and then covered with mesh to keep chickens out of it.

O, and I better mulch that garlic soon, before the ground freezes solid.

Turan wrote:It is cloudy and windy and cold but no snow yet this year.  Our coldest night was last week when it got down to 17.  That was more than the greenhouse could handle.

Brrr! 17? I'm glad we haven't dipped that low yet.

Since I live close to Rooster no weather report. My gardens are pretty well cleaned up. This winter I have added a cold frame with lettuce, kale, carrots, beets, spinach. Except for the fact that I started everything too late and can't start spinach at all it is doing good. My compost pile are full and I started one in situ in a 4X4 garden. I have some red worms in there so they should multiply and help decompose everything by planting time. I intend to be adding coffee grounds,beer mash and leaves until about Jan.

It looks like we are getting winter weather this coming week.  I am told I should have blowing snow for Monday and then hovering at 0 a couple days.  My men folk are away hunting elk.  This coming weather will be good for aging anything they get.

I spent the day in the garden thinking this might be the last day to get much done. 
Got the greenhouse cleaned out.  Cleaning up tomatoes growing up twine is sure a lot easier to deal with!  Pull the roots and snip the top of the twine and carry out.  I turned the compost pile in there and made another small one that might be too small to get much done.

Figured out where to plant peas next and then changed my mind 3 times.  I am putting them where the corn was last because that bed was easiest to prepare and it has never had peas or beans in it.

I hope I get tomorrow to get more done in.   If not it is ok for the winter now.

0°F  already?  That. is. just. not. right!  

Last Friday I watered all day; all my trees, shrubs and large trees. Saturday I drained the irrigation pipes and pump and pulled the inlet out of the ditch. Picked up and stored all the hoses, about 700 ft. of hoses. Today we picked all the chard, kale and lettuce that we could. It is forecast to go  to 10 degrees by wed. so I don't think much if anything will survive even in the greenhouse. I  left a few things just to see and will cover it all tomorrow.

Mulched my garlic:


My new neighbors:


Look what I found cleaning out a bed:


Last of the flowers:

The first  picture was planted garlic and shallots.

Mulched the garlic and shallots:

Nice pictures johnp! Thanks for sharing. Care if I put a couple on our forums Instagram page?

Change is coming!!! BRRRRR

Sure Rooster any time.

Thanks johnp!

Button down the hatches!! I woke to 51 degress this morning and they say it's the warmest temp we'll see all week Cold front moves in this morning/early afternoon and temps will drop 30+ degrees quickly. I'M NOT READY

We have wind and mid fifties, won't hit until late afternoon. Lows of 10 and highs in the 20's. My  garden plans for winter in the greenhouse may be done because my heat  project isn't done  yet. I guess it was meant to be though, my wife just informed me that we re going to AZ. for the month of Dec. and to Key West for two weeks in Jan. Talk about being a mushroom and kept in the dark.

It is 14* and several inches of snow fell last night.  Kelejan, this must of hit you on its way south?
We have had a lovely but dry fall, this snow is nice.  I hope it thaws soon though, not just sit on the ground but water the plants.  But my hopes may have to wait untill Thanksgiving according to the weather map.

I just checked the greenhouse compost piles I made and turned Saturday.  They are nice and warm to the touch, not hot yet but started again.

Turan
Hope you stay warm an congrats on regional hosting! 
 I look forward to your posts - as always!

In response to the storm and rush out of the garden and to a picture of boffers~



I sprinkled old beet, brussel sprout, cilantro, and lettuce seeds.  I figure something salad like will grow.

johnp wrote:
Last of the flowers:

Just got to keep this picture of johnp's close.  I love the colors.

I posted that picture to our Instagram account earlier. Love all the color. Nothing but frigid cold and white here now

That IS a nice picture!  Hopefully will remind us all of summer all winter!

In all my haste four weeks ago to plant garlic and shallots I got busy doing other things. The weather turned so nasty so quickly and has stayed bad and it is going down hill again. I went out to the garden this afternoon to see what is left in the greenhouse it suddenly dawned on me that I had only cleaned two beds. I have all this mess and the MM is frozen. I am not used to this nasty weather this early and I completely spaced out clean up. Hope we get a Dec. thaw. Opps, I forgot I won't be  here the month of Dec. Maybe an early spring thaw?

It'll wait for you, no problem.  Just think you have it to do on some day when in the greenhouse is lovely but it is still too cold to do anything out side.  
I have plenty of experience with this.

johnp wrote:In all my haste four weeks ago to plant garlic and shallots I got busy doing other things. The weather turned so nasty so quickly and has stayed bad and it is going down hill again. I went out to the garden this afternoon to see what is left in the greenhouse it suddenly dawned on me that I had only cleaned two beds. I have all this mess and the MM is frozen. I am not used to this nasty weather this early and I completely spaced out clean up. Hope we get a Dec. thaw. Opps, I forgot I won't be  here the month of Dec. Maybe an early spring thaw?

Don't feel bad. I put off two of my beds thinking I would have one more nice day, but the storm rolled in early.