Winding down

Well, here it is, October 2, 2010. I have gotten nearly an extra week of fair weather plus 6.8 inches of rain in the last 3 days, for which I am thankful! Tonight the temperature is forecast to be in the mid 30's and I am being a decisional idiot. To pick or cover? That is the question. It's just about time to be done.

There are many tender fruits out there; I harvested all the near ripe tomatoes, yet there remain 2 pecks green on the vine I have 3 pecks of poblano peppers still coming along. There are 15 eggplants of various stages of growth and still more basil than I know what to do with. I really hope the temp doesn't go to 32F tonight and I am granted one more day. Tomorrow I know I will wish the same thing.

Blessings, camprn. I was faced with much the same thoughts just 2 days ago. Didn't have a choice, but I still thought about it anyway.

As for the basil... I had 3 over-full squares back in early Sept and I spent a long afternoon making almost-pesto. Still need to freeze that stuff!

If it just rained , is the ground still wet? wouldn't that encourage frost at that temp? I think I would cover.

If you are counting on your basil crop, I'd pull it now, or cover it. At least, I'd be crying if I lost it all overnight.

My son came home and helped me cover the 8 ft tomato plants, peppers and eggplant. Basil I could live without as I have harvest thrice from the same plants, are now covered as well. Fingers crossed for not so cold tonight.

COVER them! Don't pull them up too soon. You will probably get some warmer nights after the initial cold ones. At least that is the normal pattern in my zone. And sure enough. We had over a week of frost every night from the 8th of Sept. but I faithfully covered my tomatoes every night to give them extra time in the sun during the days. Mine are only 4 feet tall though not 8!! LOL! I am SO glad I covered them because after that week of frosty nights we got some rainy days and nights that were warmer and lately have had over a week with sun and no frost at all. My tomatoes have been ripening up beautifully now. Maybe it is just me but I think they taste soooo much nicer if they can at least start ripening in the sun instead of in the basement.

GK

It got to 34F this morning @ 7 am. All the tender plants are surviving for now. The forecast for overnights to be in the 40s this coming week.

I just finished planting a bunch of fall flowers to pacify the HOA. Now it seems our nights, too, will be in the low 40's. Starting to wonder how long those flowers are going to last...

Mums and asters are good in the chill of Autumn. Click on the links below for general info.

Chrysanthemum



Asters

I love asters & mums.

I put in some mums, pansies and kale... doesn't look anywhere near as nice as that, though.

So, it's going to be cold, with a hard frost forecast for overnight. I finally bit the end of the season bullet and cleaned out the 4' X 6' garden box = 20 lbs. green tomatoes, 6 lbs. poblano peppers, 4 eggplants and Basil (from one square) that made 24 oz. of pesto. I really like my new gardening method.

Our temps went down around 36 to 40 for almost a week and my regular flowers still doing great. Like= Vinca , Impatient , Marigolds, Petunias.
Fall flowers should do even better.

My summer flowers are still doing great, and my roses are revving up to bloom yet again. Then there is the sage tree..... yay for hardy plants!

Wish I lived in zone 7, but only this time of year.

My roses are brain-damaged, I think. They will try to bloom almost any time. The sage... I don't know how, but it is HUGE and unstoppable.

And I would trade you in a heartbeat. I miss New Hampshire.

I think I am going to try some Canadian roses next year.

This spring I planted a floribunda rose I got at Walmart. It was a pink one called Gene Boerner. The crazy thing is still blooming even after some -5 temperatures. It has no fragrance to it at all but it sure has pretty blossoms.

You might want to try and find it.

GK

Megan, I have a brain-dead rose, too -- it's an old one, climbing up the structure of the old well that's still on the property here.

It's LOADED with blooms right now -- so I don't have the heart to cut it back yet. It bloomed it little heart out this year (I think I'm the first tenant in a few rotations to give it any love, and it's responding!) -- so I'll hold off until the frost, then I'll prune it for winter.

Most everything else is hanging tough -- we're supposed to be down to the high 30s this week, so I have my fleece at the ready...and the greenhouse is already built and ready to place over the new plantings.

Speaking of brain-dead roses... in my back yard (the domain of tree roots and massive shade), there is a rose bush. Apparently the previous owners planted it there; why, I have no idea. We have aggressively ignored it. Seriously, we have not done a single thing to it in the last 10 years besides look at it, scratch our heads, and wonder that it still grows there. It has spread (I have no idea how it did that) into several bushes, and blooms changed color, which I assume means it has gone back to its rootstock. But it is still there. That is perhaps the one reason I hold out any hope for SFG'ing in the backyard... if that rose could survive in the partial light there, surely I can grow a few other things.

If anyone local really loves roses and has the know-how to dig that silly thing up without killing it, they are welcome to it. I haven't the heart to cut it down....but it is going to be in the way come springtime.

It sounds like a vigorous plant and could probably tolerate heavy pruning, then see what the spring brings. It may just be a lovely addition to your garden if you can get it under control.

Ok I'm using a ton of server space here...

Garden October 1, 2010


Another angle, October 1, 2010


My most productive 4'x6' bed, October 1, 2010


6 Gilbertie tomato plants stripped to the 10' vine; peppers in front. 10/9/10


Hidden in the pepper plants, Poblanos! 10/9/10


nearly empty bed 10/9/10


Last veggie yield 10/9/10


Plus the last square of basil


planting garlic 10/12/10


A little BS


Garden is ready for a cold night 10/10/10

Look at those cute little sprouts!! Camprn when did you plant your Brussel Sprouts?

Aub wrote:Look at those cute little sprouts!! Camprn when did you plant your Brussel Sprouts?

I put 5 BS seedlings into the garden on May 2, 2010. I planted them every other square because when they are young they do take quite a bit if space; they are in the 3rd bed away.


Here is a stalk on October 1, 2010

I am planning on leaving them in the garden until I need them. They can freeze on the stalk.

Here's how my BS looked before I pulled them out 2 weeks ago...

Aub, I don't see a picture?