CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in September 2018

Another September on the way and it seems as though I am only just getting started this year.

I checked my refurbished 4x4 compost heap and it is doing great.  I obtained five pounds of veggie and fruit leavings from the local women's group to which I belong and were the results of food provided for the Harvest Food Bank lunch and it was our turn to prepare the food.  The ingredients are usually put into our group's compost tumbler but there  was not enough time for me to prepare then so I got to take them home for my own compost.  So yesterday  I prepared the ingredients and today went to place them in the centre of my pile. I dug a hole and there were hundreds of little wigglers there, all maturing with that little collar around their middles that means they are carrying cocoons that each have several little ones ready to be hatched very shortly.

The middle of the pile is heating up nicely so all the worms have plenty of food and space to get away from the centre and spread out if they get too hot.

Today I also used my new TerraWagon to transport more wood chips to place under my old cherry tree.  That make the physical work so much easier and productive; I should have taken jimmycee's advice and bought one a long time ago.

The weather has finally cooled down into the mid 20Cs and it is so much more pleasant to do the physical work.  The smoke from the forest fires is clearing although over 500 fires are still active in British Columbia they are finally getting into the containment stage and the rain is helping.

Where I live we had a tremendous downpour that really refreshed the lawns, even a day made a difference to the parched look of all our greenery. Of course, although we residents had to curtail our watering, the city still kept all their grass emerald green.  I realize we do need some greenery in our lives and as citizens we can all share in the beauty of the green fields.

This month I plan to get my fall planting done and see if I can make a go of it this year.  I am trying to take better care  of a couple of 6 x 3s instead of overproducing as I only need to feed myself and a little more to share.

Before we know it the fall equinox will be here and we will be sliding into winter.

One more monthly Canadian Region then I will take it three months - October to No December.

Enjoy September, everyone.

It's amazing how much more work one can do with the cooling weather. Cheers to you for all the work you do. I can't imagine pulling all the chips uphill.

sanderson wrote:  It's amazing how much more work one can do with the cooling weather.  Cheers to you for all the work you do.  I can't imagine pulling all the chips uphill.

It was only a little slope, sanderson, perhaps I exaggerated a little.  It was less then 25 degrees, just needed me to pull up using both hands and making sure my footing was firm.

I did not do anything today as the smoke has thickened again with the wind changing direction as we have been warned may happen.  So today I stayed indoors and carried on with reducing my paperwork while watching the golf and motor racing and listening to music and writing letters.

Anyone have a list of things that are good to plant in September? I only planted tomatoes in pots this year. My SFG gardens went by the wayside for the last few years because I was having a hard time after my mother passed away. Anyway, the house foundation was fixed, but they destroyed the gardens in order to do it. So now I have no SFG's. I did plant pots of flowers and some herbs this year too. and strawberries in a half whiskey barrel thing. The tomatoes are ok, but not overly prolific.

Cherbear wrote:Anyone have a list of things that are good to plant in September? I only planted tomatoes in pots this year. My SFG gardens went by the wayside for the last few years because I was having a hard time after my mother passed away. Anyway, the house foundation was fixed, but they destroyed the gardens in order to do it. So now I have no SFG's. I did plant pots of flowers and some herbs this year too. and strawberries in a half whiskey barrel thing. The tomatoes are ok, but not overly prolific.

Hi Cherbear!  Here, you can plant radishes, lettuces and spinach.  And mache (cornsalad).  In reality, it’s too late to do some lettuces due to germination, but radishes are a for sure go.

Good Heavens!  It looks as though I have been asleep at my post for some days now and have only just woken up.  Apologies, everyone.

I haven't been anywhere, and not done too much in  my garden.  I must admit that I have not felt too comfortable with the bears around us. They know exactly when it is getting near garbage day so hang around.  It is garbage day today and I had a phone call from one of my neighbours that a bear was next door to, out of my sight behind that tall cedar hedge that I am often complaining about, and the bear was up the tree having supper.from all the apples still hanging there and never been harvested.

Right now I am waiting for daylight so that I can take the frozen stuff from the freezer and transfer it to the garbage can then out to the road.  This is a vulnerable time as      we have to leave the cans unlocked and so it is easy for the bears to open them.  Even with the fasteners closed the bears can force the lids open enough to get their front legs through an scrape the contents out and they make such a mess.

It is getting on for six am and still dark so I will wait until nearly seven then finish off. Then it is too late today to return to bed as I will be going out to our Women's Centre for breakfast.  I am looking forward to our collection day to be made on a Wednesday so that I do not have to do two early things in one day that has too much time between so that I have to hang around finding something to do.

After all that, I have been doing some gardening, placing more wood chips around my old cherry tree and to top up other places so as to finally clear my driveway for the coming snow.  Yes, one moment we are complaining about mid-30C temps and now it is nice to switch on a little heat.

I have been able to make about four dozen new strawberry plants for for next year, and the compost heap is doing nicely and looking tidy at last.  Still need to prune some of the flowering shrubs as over the years they have been growing too tall, I think due to the wood chips placed there.

Rain has finally returned and the grass is greening, perhaps I will be able to mow the lawn a couple of times before putting away the lawnmower  which reminds me the shed needs spring-cleaning, or should I say fall-cleaning, it has a bit too much rubbish in it. The shed also needs a new padlock, I am always losing the keys. I would hate my precious tools to be stolen.  Years ago I had my lawnmower and weed trimmer stolen shortly after my dear husband passed away and they were a gift from him.

As the Canadian Hostess here, I would like to extend our sympathy to all our American friends on the terrible weather they are having, and also our sympathies
to our fellow Canadians for the fires and floods in our country. and not to forget the rest of the World.

Love your posting. I'm glad you are cautious about the bears. It must have been a small bear to be up in the apple tree. ??

Some rain? Your air quality must be greatly improved by the rain. It is terrible how much water the Carolinas have received the last few days, both the storm surge and the rain. Ken and I are thinking of visiting the South, including South, maybe north Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi.

Sanderson, you would be surprised how large a bear can climb a tree. All sizes of bear can climb, so long as the tree will bear their weight.

As for floods, I think I am well above water reaching my place as walking home from our Downtown it is uphill all the way so I can feel safe knowing that it is unlikely I will be flooded, unlike peoplel who live near the Columbia River.  On the other hand, if we had rain like Harvey and Florence, I fear the hill behind me would give way as it consists of layers of rock, and any one of those huge rocks would flatten my little house.  As I walk and go under the railway tunnel I often look up at some rocks that have been perched above and to me look as though they could fall any time Every time we have a good downpour, I think of all those little bits of soil being washed away from those rocks and that one day they would fall.  I must admit I have looking there since 1996 and nothing has happened yet and they have been there for about six thousand years.  On the other hand, someone always wins the Lotto jackpots.

I was finally able to get some gardening don today by mowing my main lawn and the roadside lawn.  The grass has greened up so I feel good about getting it done. I made a late start as the air was full of Autumn mists and I could hardly see my mount sentinel and the temp was about 4C, rather chilly after the hot summer we have had.
Warmed up nicely once I got going.

My strawberry daughter plants are doing well; I hope to get them in place before winter, cover them with mulch and see them come up in the spring.

We are forecast another three days of sunshine and temps around the 20C mark so I am trying to get a couple of hours work done each day. There is lots to do.

Right now the sun is shining and the air is finally clear of wood smoke.

Kelejan wrote:I was finally able to get some gardening don today by mowing my main lawn and the roadside lawn.  The grass has greened up so I feel good about getting it done. I made a late start as the air was full of Autumn mists and I could hardly see my mount sentinel and the temp was about 4C, rather chilly after the hot summer we have had.
Warmed up nicely once I got going.

My strawberry daughter plants are doing well; I hope to get them in place before winter, cover them with mulch and see them come up in the spring.

We are forecast another three days of sunshine and temps around the 20C mark so I am trying to get a couple of hours work done each day. There is lots to do.

Right now the sun is shining and the air is finally clear of wood smoke.

Glad to hear your skies are clearing!  My strawberry plants (first year bed) are going nuts, jumping out into the yard!  No!!!  This is the first year for this bed.

We ar having unstable conditions here, rainy, storms, but it is humid and warm at the moment.