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N&C Midwest October 2023
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N&C Midwest October 2023
I suppose I should water today but not sure I will have time. Will need to figure out what to do with my beds, I think I am going to start over on the strawberry bed, it hasn’t been very productive.
What is everyone else doing? Winding down or getting ready for Fall harvests?
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
The To-Do list for winter activities is growing, though. Two of the original Rhubarb plants in fire rings have to be dug up and divided as they have grown to fill the entire rings. Another project for the Rhubarb is to add a drip irrigation system for them so I don't have to continually water then through the prolonged summer dry periods. That will require adding a new line with its own timer since they will be on a different schedule than the raised beds, needing much less water than vegetables do.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
If you are not familiar with how the harvest winter squash, check out the post I did last fall on the best way to cut the squash off of the vines:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t23735-how-to-harvest-winter-squash?highlight=Winter+Squash
This year's harvest of the Red Kuri Winter Squash
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
From Square Foot Gardening Foundation:
A moment for reflection One of the most important steps to Square Foot Gardening is assessing the past season. While our Method has been carefully designed to succeed in any garden, there are some things that will always be unique only to you.
How did your harvest of each plant look this season?
What did you feel was most challenging?
Did you encounter pests? What kind was it?
What were your biggest surprises? Biggest let downs?
What did you enjoy the most? (This is the most important question to ask yourself!)
You’re the only one that fully knows all the joys and challenges you encountered. Use that knowledge to strengthen your Square Foot Garden yields in each season to come!
If you feel like you want to go back to the basics, check out our 2-hour self-paced online course. It’s a great way to refresh on the fundamentals of Square Foot Gardening: https://squarefootgardening.org/square-foot-gardening-online-course/
Photos from Square Foot Gardeners posting to our Official Square Foot Gardening Facebook Group
#SquareFootGardeningFoundation #GrowYourOwnFood #SquareFootGardening #GardeningCourse #GardeningBasics #FirstGarden #NewGardener #GardeningTips #Gardening #GardeningMethods #NutritiousFoods #Reflection #ReflectionPost #Learning
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Garden Abundance
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Also picked the rest of the bell, banana, and jalapeno peppers, cut the plants off at the soil level, and shredded them into the compost bin.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Keeping a journal is a great way to help reflect back on the year's gardening.Scorpio Rising wrote:From Square Foot Gardening Foundation:
A moment for reflection One of the most important steps to Square Foot Gardening is assessing the past season. While our Method has been carefully designed to succeed in any garden, there are some things that will always be unique only to you.
You’re the only one that fully knows all the joys and challenges you encountered. Use that knowledge to strengthen your Square Foot Garden yields in each season to come!"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
I am needing to figure out which angle to take but I will break the big chunks apart and plant them! Love garlic!
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Fortunately, the plants in the greenhouse are thriving.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
My messenging situation isn’t working, OG. We too are under a frost warning. Honestly I am done. I need to re-evaluate my goals with the garden over the winter. With my job, I cannot get things done that I want to do….sad really. I have thrown way a lot of food this and last year.OhioGardener wrote:We are under a frost warning tonight, so I am going to pick the rest of the tomatoes, eggplants, and green beans. Then I'll clean off those two beds, apply some more compost, and mulch with wheat straw for the winter. The summer garden has ended for us.
Fortunately, the plants in the greenhouse are thriving.
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
nrstooge- Posts : 122
Join date : 2017-02-19
Location : W Des Moines, IA/Zone 5
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
A new load of wood chips were dropped off this morning....
The load of wood chips were spread out on the raised bed pathways...
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Scorpio Rising,Scorpio Rising wrote:My messenging situation isn’t working, OG. We too are under a frost warning. Honestly I am done. I need to re-evaluate my goals with the garden over the winter. With my job, I cannot get things done that I want to do….sad really. I have thrown way a lot of food this and last year.OhioGardener wrote:We are under a frost warning tonight, so I am going to pick the rest of the tomatoes, eggplants, and green beans. Then I'll clean off those two beds, apply some more compost, and mulch with wheat straw for the winter. The summer garden has ended for us.
Fortunately, the plants in the greenhouse are thriving.
I completely understand how the work situation is getting in the way of gardening goals. I haven't had a lot of time to even ben on the forum lately because of work. I have really come to love gardening, but there are only so many hours in a day and when work takes up a lot of them, the garden gets less and less. I also need to find a balance so that I can feel fulfilled with gardening and not stressed by it. Good luck!
JAM23- Posts : 224
Join date : 2021-01-01
Location : Illinois; Zone5b
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
If nothing else, it pays off in the long run to pull the spent plants and cover the beds with straw. In the spring, one can evaluate how many beds one wants to deal with for the summer. The straw will protect the empty beds until one can come up with a plan.
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
sanderson wrote:Down-sizing or taking a break is sometimes just what is needed. If I was still working, I would not be able to maintain the number of beds I have, plus harvest, can, dehydrate and freeze. I have really down-sized this winter's garden.
If nothing else, it pays off in the long run to pull the spent plants and cover the beds with straw. In the spring, one can evaluate how many beds one wants to deal with for the summer. The straw will protect the empty beds until one can come up with a plan.
Thanks for the advice sanderson. I think for me it might be best to skip a fall garden. When I step back and think about where things get hard, I would have to say it is trying to continue with a fall garden because with my current work situation this is when I have the least amount of time to garden. Or maybe just reduce the number of things I grow in my fall garden. Either way, I am going to focus on putting all the beds to rest and reevaluate the situation moving forward
JAM23- Posts : 224
Join date : 2021-01-01
Location : Illinois; Zone5b
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
The only raised bed still active is the one with winter carrots and beets in it. Those won't be harvested until December.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
The only thing I have committed to for Fall (and it really is zero work) is garlic! I love it for cooking, roasting, etc. it can’t be beat. I haven’t really done a Fall garden for several years for this reason—days are just too short for me to do anything after I get off work. Dark. I have tried different things in my cold frame. Spring is easier than fall…JAM23 wrote:Scorpio Rising,
I completely understand how the work situation is getting in the way of gardening goals. I haven't had a lot of time to even ben on the forum lately because of work. I have really come to love gardening, but there are only so many hours in a day and when work takes up a lot of them, the garden gets less and less. I also need to find a balance so that I can feel fulfilled with gardening and not stressed by it. Good luck!
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
sanderson likes this post
Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Thanks Scorpio Rising,Scorpio Rising wrote:The only thing I have committed to for Fall (and it really is zero work) is garlic! I love it for cooking, roasting, etc. it can’t be beat. I haven’t really done a Fall garden for several years for this reason—days are just too short for me to do anything after I get off work. Dark. I have tried different things in my cold frame. Spring is easier than fall…JAM23 wrote:Scorpio Rising,
I completely understand how the work situation is getting in the way of gardening goals. I haven't had a lot of time to even ben on the forum lately because of work. I have really come to love gardening, but there are only so many hours in a day and when work takes up a lot of them, the garden gets less and less. I also need to find a balance so that I can feel fulfilled with gardening and not stressed by it. Good luck!
Yes, garlic is a definite plan for the fall garden and I did get my 2 small cold frames finished and planted (beets, carrots, spinach, thyme and parsley). Fall gardening can be something I look forward to in retirement? LOL
JAM23- Posts : 224
Join date : 2021-01-01
Location : Illinois; Zone5b
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Re: N&C Midwest October 2023
Nice OhioGardener! You are one nice neighbor! I have closed one of my beds for the season. Still have a few more to get too! Want to be finished my mid-November. I use mulched leaves to cover my soil since they are free but I have run out of them (because I am trying to make lots of compost)! Waiting for the leaves to start falling in my area so I can get them mulched to cover the beds and stock pile them for another year of composting.OhioGardener wrote:Finished the last of my To-Do list for preparing the beds for winter today. Cleaned off all of the Rhubarb plants, dug and divided the two plants that had become too crowded in their fire rings, topped off all of the fire rings with a fresh mixture of MM, and applied the winter mulch of aged cow manure to feed the plants for next year. Shared nine Rhubarb crowns with three neighbors that had asked for starts, after keeping two crowns to re-plant the beds that had been dug up. While digging out the Rhubarb to divide them I found several grubs in each bed, so after everything was replanted and topped off I applied some GrubGone to the soil and watered it in.
The only raised bed still active is the one with winter carrots and beets in it. Those won't be harvested until December.
JAM23- Posts : 224
Join date : 2021-01-01
Location : Illinois; Zone5b
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