October gardening thread. What are you working on?

[Faith-manor]

I have been pulling plants, dehydrating more red chilies which are being finely chopped into red pepper flake. It is warm, very summery but comfortable and glorious so it is really nice to be outdoors. I have a few scallions yet to harvest, and I need to do work the beds, fertilize, compost, and cover with leaves for the winter. (I ended up not being able to get enough radish seeds locally to do a cover crop.)

Today was the last day of canning/pickling. I have about 200 jars of food mostly pints and quarts but a few pickled banana peppers and jalapenos in half pints. 

I am still dehydrating apples. I might be at that a while yet.

I have been sitting with colored pencils and grid paper drawing up plans for spring. We don't have a green house so we won't be growing through the winter. I feel a little sad about that.

How are all of you faring? Are our southern hemisphere gardeners gearing up, already started? I live vicariously through you now for about six months!

[Melissa in Australia]

Dh has been thrown right into the gardening as I am not physically capable if even getting to the garden. He is at this moment putting up the poles to plant the climbing beans. 

 He has planted the potatoes, tomatoes carrots and lettuce. 

We are both finding it hard, dh doing all my jobs, and me lying on the couch like some Victorian invalid unable to do anything. 

[Rosie_0801]

Borage. I am working on borage. If I eat any more I may turn green. I will be eating more anyway.

 

I don't know how much of a summer garden I will have. With the hot, dry summer we're going to have, I'll be lucky to keep my perennials alive, I think. I do have some veggie seedlings popping up, but I'll be most surprised if the bugs don't get them. Someone's eaten a few before they've made it above ground properly.

Happily, once the borage is done, I will have broad beans to eat. Also, my banana plant isn't dead after all! Not sure about the curry leaf tree, that one looks mostly dead but not quite.

I planted this lovely purple flowered plant out on the nature strip a few months back. The flowers look bigger in the photo than real life, but isn't it splendid? It doesn't seem to have a common name, which I think rather unfair.

 

[gardenmom5]

I have six arborvitae to plant.  The small ones I planted last year were eaten by deer . . . 
then a small picea glauca pendula, and a picea koreana omorika, both taller, but narrow. (especially the p.g.p. I have one that's 25'? tall and maybe 5' diameter.)

 

and I have a large area where I have to spray grass killer.  I'm not happy with the weeding job the teen boys I hired did, and while I told my person spreading bark I wanted 3" to supposedly prevent the grass growing (from seed), it's more like an inch - I might as well have planted a lawn.  toe tap . . . Saturday was dry and great weather, but I was too sick to think. But it's supposed to be nice later this week.

[Faith-manor]

48 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Dh has been thrown right into the gardening as I am not physically capable if even getting to the garden. He is at this moment putting up the poles to plant the climbing beans. 

 He has planted the potatoes, tomatoes carrots and lettuce. 

We are both finding it hard, dh doing all my jobs, and me lying on the couch like some Victorian invalid unable to do anything. 

I am so sorry Melissa. So sorry. Many hugs!

[SHP]

I need to dig the foundations for the retaining walls. Yes plural. Here a retaining wall. There a retaining wall. Everywhere a retaining wall. Ee i ee i o. 

I need to pull my voodoo lilies, canna lilies, and elephant ears. I have hundreds of tulip bulbs, dozens of daffodils and surprise lily bulbs, and a handful of irises to stick in the ground. I want to move a hardy hibiscus that doesn't seem terribly happy but I think it is too late to do that this year. 

[PronghornD]

Our community garden closes at the end of the month, and I'm growing mostly weeds. I do have fall lettuce and arugula and peas planted, but I broke my wrist a little over a month ago, had surgery three-and-a half weeks ago, and haven't been able to even pull the weeds right by the lettuce. Maybe in the next couple of days, I can get out there and do a little, but I am a shadow of my usual self.

Soon we'll have to get the fence out. My husband will have to do almost everything for me, and the poor guy has no interest in gardening whatsoever. I look forward to next spring, when I hope to be an able-bodied gardener who can dig into the tasks with zest.

[HS Mom in NC]

Zone 7B here.

Ornamental Woodland Garden

Today I bought six 36-48 in. white anemones because my 2 experimental ones finally forgave me for moving them from the front flower beds a few years ago and are blooming next to the pond. 

I have a Chinese paper plant leaning, so I have to adjust it.

My Japanese beautyberries are doing well after I moved them to a new spot, so I bought another to fill in a gap.

The bulbs my husband dug out of the front flowerbeds this summer have been drying in the garage and I'll plant them throughout this garden.

I bought more hyacenths to go under the rising sun redbud trees.

I'm crossing my fingers that the work I did last fall trying to perennialize the tulips will pay off next spring. I bought the recommended types, dug the recommended depths, and added the recommended amendments last fall.  Now we see if they come back for a second year.  Please please please please....

Permaculture Food Forest

My spinach, lettuces, cauliflowers, broccoli, and cabbages are doing well next to the bay window in the kitchen and under their grow lights.  I'm waiting until they're more mature to harden them off and put them in the garden.

The sweetpeas are doing well again.  They're about a foot tall.

Most of the carrots are growing very well.  I need to get some mulch around them for weed control.

The last of the peppers, watermelon, and Chinese eggplant need bringing in. 

I harvested the sunflowers and put them out in the birdfeeders.

Time to rip out the last of the melon, squash, and basil plants. Maybe the tomatoes too.

I'm watching for leaf drop later this month-I saved most of my sterile Russian comfry to harvest and mix with it for next year's compost.

I have plenty of braided garlic to pick from to plant this or next month.

I told my husband that while I appreciate his wanting to build me an Ana While greenhouse, I want a watering system more than anything else.  The dry patches were long this summer.

[Faith-manor]

13 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Borage. I am working on borage. If I eat any more I may turn green. I will be eating more anyway.

 

I don't know how much of a summer garden I will have. With the hot, dry summer we're going to have, I'll be lucky to keep my perennials alive, I think. I do have some veggie seedlings popping up, but I'll be most surprised if the bugs don't get them. Someone's eaten a few before they've made it above ground properly.

Happily, once the borage is done, I will have broad beans to eat. Also, my banana plant isn't dead after all! Not sure about the curry leaf tree, that one looks mostly dead but not quite.

I planted this lovely purple flowered plant out on the nature strip a few months back. The flowers look bigger in the photo than real life, but isn't it splendid? It doesn't seem to have a common name, which I think rather unfair.

 

It is splendid! I am a big sucker for any plant with purple flowers. Lavender is in fact my very favorite color.

[KungFuPanda]

23 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Borage. I am working on borage. If I eat any more I may turn green. I will be eating more anyway.

I grow borage most years because it’s pretty, easy from seed, and ALL the bees like it. I’ve never actually eaten it and it grows so well. What part do you eat and how do you serve it. 
 

I’m wondering if I even want to keep my community plot next year. I’m just not feeling it. However, with the losses I’ve had this year I don’t want to make decisions based upon how I feel today. 
 

I’ve been thinking of just gardening my back yard boxes. I wouldn’t get the full sun stuff, but I’d still have lettuce, herbs, and some varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers. I could just get things at the pick-your-own farm for a lot less work and trouble if I’m in the mood. I have very little gardening motivation. 
 

I did manage to can some tomatoes, make some pickles, and get lots of peppers, tomatillos, and okra in the freezer. My fall lettuce and arugula are up right now and I’ve got lots of onions and shallots. I use the herbs the most, but all except Rosemary are in my back yard. 
 

My fall cabbage went in too late and looks like a dud.  I’ll just buy some to make kimchi. Dh loves that stuff so I like to keep it on hand. 

[Rosie_0801]

15 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I grow borage most years because it’s pretty, easy from seed, and ALL the bees like it. I’ve never actually eaten it and it grows so well. What part do you eat and how do you serve it. 

You can use the leaves anywhere you'd use cooked spinach. The internet tells me you can sauté the young stems, but I have more leaves than I know what to do with, so I haven't bothered. The flowers are also edible, and can be used to make your salads look pretty or whatever.

I made palak paneer (except borage) last night, pesto the other week and today I'll drown some in a coconut cream sauce with roast pumpkin, the leftover jar of lemongrass and some garlic.

[Melissa in Australia]

I did it

 I crept down the steps and crawled along the ground cause I couldn't bring my walker by myself. And PULLED UP 10 WEEDS!!!!<

I did it

Twin 1 came along then and helped me Back to the steps and up the steps and into the house. 

But I got outside into the flower garden 💃💃💃💃

Now need a nap to recover, but boy was it satisfying 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Melissa in Australia

[prairiewindmomma]

It’s October and I am harvesting pumpkins and cilantro…and tomatoes and watermelons. It was 80F today which is way too hot for us this time of year. I am enjoying the extended summer harvest but my plants are so confused. 

[Faith-manor]

9 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I did it

 I crept down the steps and crawled along the ground cause I couldn't bring my walker by myself. And PULLED UP 10 WEEDS!!!!<

I did it

Twin 1 came along then and helped me Back to the steps and up the steps and into the house. 

But I got outside into the flower garden 💃💃💃💃

Now need a nap to recover, but boy was it satisfying 

 

Triumph! I am so happy for you!!! 💐🌸💮🏵🌺🌼🌹🌻🌷

[popmom]

Over here in zone 8, the temps cooled just enough in September so that my tomatoes are setting fruit again. Just in time for faux fall to turn into real fall with low temps in the 40s. 😉 It will warm back up enough for me to squeeze out some more ripe maters before we get a frost. My roses look like they may bloom again, too. 

A few of my okra plants are nearly 9 feet tall. I have to pull the stalks over to cut the pods. 

It has been very dry here. I put water out for the deer because they have been bold enough to climb a flight of stairs up to my front porch and eat the flowers and foliage out of the planters right by my front door. I guess the dry weather has affected their food supply. Praying they don't figure out that they should be able to jump my fence. 

I should have planted all my greens and such this week, but we are having a party at our house for the juniors and seniors at our co-op tomorrow night. I have been prepping and cleaning and decluttering all week for that. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by popmom

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, popmom said:

Over here in zone 8, the temps cooled just enough in September so that my tomatoes are setting fruit again. Just in time for faux fall to turn into real fall with low temps in the 40s. 😉 It will warm back up enough for me to squeeze out some more ripe maters before we get a frost. My roses look like they may bloom again, too. 

A few of my okra plants are nearly 9 feet tall. I have to pull the stalks over to cut the pods. 

It has been very dry here. I put water out for the deer because they have been bold enough to climb a flight of stairs up to my front porch and eat the flowers and foliage out of the planters right by my front door. I guess the dry weather has affected their food supply. Praying they don't figure out that they should be able to jump my fence. 

I should have planted all my greens and such this week, but we are having a party for the juniors and seniors at our co-op tomorrow night. I have been prepping and cleaning and decluttering all week for that. 

Wow, 9 ft! I had no idea okra gets that tall.

[popmom]

25 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Wow, 9 ft! I had no idea okra gets that tall.

This is the tallest they have ever grown for me. It's Clemson Spineless. Except the stalks aren't spineless--just the pods. 😕 So I have to get gloves to pull the stalks over so I can reach the okra. Ouchie. The past few years I planted late, and they still reached 7 feet easily. They will keep growing until the first frost--although they are slowing down.

[wisdomandtreasures]

Processing pumpkins and putting the garden to rest until Spring. The last of the tomatoes didn't ripen so tomorrow we're having a bonfire with them and all the tumbleweeds that blow into our yard. 

[popmom]

14 minutes ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

Processing pumpkins and putting the garden to rest until Spring. The last of the tomatoes didn't ripen so tomorrow we're having a bonfire with them and all the tumbleweeds that blow into our yard. 

no fried green tomatoes? lol

[ikslo]

Today I got my first purple passionfruit flowers from the vines I started from seed

[wisdomandtreasures]

17 hours ago, popmom said:

17 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

Processing pumpkins and putting the garden to rest until Spring. The last of the tomatoes didn't ripen so tomorrow we're having a bonfire with them and all the tumbleweeds that blow into our yard. 

no fried green tomatoes? lol

That's a really painstaking way to throw a bunch of green tomatoes away because my kids only like tomatoes in sauce. 😉😄

[Faith-manor]

4 hours ago, ikslo said:

Today I got my first purple passionfruit flowers from the vines I started from seed

Beautiful!

[popmom]

9 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

That's a really painstaking way to throw a bunch of green tomatoes away because my kids only like tomatoes in sauce. 😉😄

They don’t know what they’re missing! 😉

[popmom]

Our party was a great success last night. Bonus was one of the moms who agreed to help brought her 10 yr old dd along who was so interested in my garden! She asked me to show her all the things I was growing. (((My heart ❤️))). I told her mom I would adopt her lol! She was PRECIOUS. She asked me so many questions. She wanted to see my red worm composting bin. She seemed fascinated that I just toss in my fruit and veggie scraps and paper and cardboard and it turns into compost. 💕

I told her about all the frustration of hornworms and aphids and that it’s a lot of trial and error, but she was fascinated. She wanted to see my Aerogarden and hydroponics set up. She was asking about what she could grow over winter. I was apologizing to her mom because she was making her Christmas present list based on gardening! 🫠 I may have a protege . lol

Her family is from Mexico, and she had never eaten okra. Or seen it growing. But she had talked about about eating a veggie lasagna w/ eggplant made by a British (by marriage) uncle that she loved, so I was able to show her some “baby” eggplants in my garden. Fun, fun. She was enthralled. What a joy!

(Eta: we did talk about other things..regular mom things-just to clarify that I don’t impose my garden obsession on my guests even though it’s tempting 😂).
Anyway… me being a foodie…I so enjoyed talking to her mom about what she cooks—traditional Mexican/Spanish foods. I would love to sit at her feet and learn her cooking skills. Most importantly… the juniors and seniors had a great time!! I’m so grateful. Such a fun night. 💕💕💕

Edited October 8, 2023 by popmom

[popmom]

On 10/3/2023 at 4:55 PM, Rosie_0801 said:

You can use the leaves anywhere you'd use cooked spinach. The internet tells me you can sauté the young stems, but I have more leaves than I know what to do with, so I haven't bothered. The flowers are also edible, and can be used to make your salads look pretty or whatever.

I made palak paneer (except borage) last night, pesto the other week and today I'll drown some in a coconut cream sauce with roast pumpkin, the leftover jar of lemongrass and some garlic.

I wasn't familiar with this plant, so I looked it up after seeing your pretty flowers. The decription said it is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Have you heard this? 

[Rosie_0801]

Just now, popmom said:

I wasn't familiar with this plant, so I looked it up after seeing your pretty flowers. The decription said it is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Have you heard this? 

I hadn't, but I have none of the above so wouldn't have paid attention.

[Halftime Hope]

I pulled out the eggplant that hasn't set any fruit at all this year. Staked up the peppers. Planted some herb and brassica starts, and reset a bunch of containers that I'll plant smaller items in. I bought a couple of purple mums that are gorgeous, and I need to re-pot them into bigger pots, then put them by my front door. After winter, I'll put them in the ground, and they should grow nicely for a couple of years before they peter out. I pulled out a couple of patty pans that have produced nicely in my fall garden, but they are too riddle with borers to keep in that space. The aphids and white flies are terrible, to tonight I'll spray with neem and insecticidal soap again. (I have to spray about three times to really do well with them.) The Tiny Tim tomatoes are starting to bud, and I have flowers all over my Early Girl Bush tomatoes, but I don't know if they're going to set fruit of not; they usually do beautifully in the fall garden, but this has been such a crazy year. Hardly anything has fruited, only peppers and beans. I'm swimming in okra.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[Faith-manor]

I am in Chicago visiting a dear friend. She is a flower gardener. I know exactly diddly squat about growing flowers, but I am proud to say that I planted 20 tulip bulbs for her. Now if the darned things would just ignore the fact that it was me who touched them and actually come up next year, that would be great! I told her. I forewarned her. She still asked me to do it. So I feel like if this is a floral tragedy, I should be absolved of responsibility.

It is so cold here. I realized looking at the weather report for home, it is headed to my region and my fall, bum around the yard coat/jacket is just DONE. The fleece is worn out, the lining has ripped and been repaired so many times it is nothing more than some random threads holding hands waiting for the flames like Woody and friends in Toy Story 3, and anything I put in my pockets falls through. Since our thrift stores have very little to choose from, I broke down this afternoon and ordered a jacket from Amazon to be delivered and waiting for me when I arrive.

Mark is picking the last of the cherry tomatoes - a whole bunch ripened late so I had two remaining plants to pull - so that it is ready for me to finish winterizing.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Faith-manor

[Halftime Hope]

33 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I am in Chicago visiting a dear friend. She is a flower gardener. I know exactly diddly squat about growing flowers, but I am proud to say that I planted 20 tulip bulbs for her. Now if the darned things would just ignore the fact that it was me who touched them and actually come up next year, that would be great! I told her. I forewarned her. She still asked me to do it. So I feel like if this is a floral tragedy, I should be absolved of responsibility.

It is so cold here. I realized looking at the weather report for home, it is headed to my region and my fall, bum around the yard coat/jacket is just DONE. The fleece is worn out, the lining has ripped and been repaired so many times it is nothing more than some random threads holding hands waiting for the flames like Woody and friends in Toy Story 3, and anything I put in my pockets falls through. Since our thrift stores have very little to choose from, I broke down this afternoon and ordered a jacket from Amazon to be delivered and waiting for me when I arrive.

Mark is picking the last of the cherry tomatoes - a whole bunch ripened late so I had two remaining plants to pull - so that it is ready for me to finish winterizing.

I wonder if the jacket is compostable...it would be fitting. (Probably not if fleece.) Maybe use it as the bottom of a lasagna bed? 🙂

[KungFuPanda]

On 10/6/2023 at 11:01 PM, Faith-manor said:

Wow, 9 ft! I had no idea okra gets that tall.

 

On 10/6/2023 at 11:30 PM, popmom said:

This is the tallest they have ever grown for me. It's Clemson Spineless. Except the stalks aren't spineless--just the pods. 😕 So I have to get gloves to pull the stalks over so I can reach the okra. Ouchie. The past few years I planted late, and they still reached 7 feet easily. They will keep growing until the first frost--although they are slowing down.

I think I grow the same kind and it never gets taller than me!  I think I'd grow okra even if I didn't like to eat it.  The flowers are pretty and you don't have to stake it.

On 10/7/2023 at 5:40 PM, wisdomandtreasures said:

That's a really painstaking way to throw a bunch of green tomatoes away because my kids only like tomatoes in sauce. 😉😄

Do you like salsa verde?  I did that with my green tomatoes one year.  I liked it so much that I started growing tomatillos shortly after that, but green tomatoes make a great green salsa or enchilada sauce.

[lewelma]

Southern Hemisphere here. I'm currently planting our vegi patch for the summer - lettuces, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, etc!

[Faith-manor]

7 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Southern Hemisphere here. I'm currently planting our vegi patch for the summer - lettuces, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, etc!

That sounds lovely.

[lewelma]

4 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

That sounds lovely.

We are also working on an ecological restoration project in our back garden that faces the town belt.  Removing weeds and planting to natives.  It is a super steep hill, so all weeding and planting have to be done in a harness with a pickaxe, and my dh does the belaying. My ds, his girlfriend, my neighbour, and I have all been in the harness multiple times. Quite a mission, but in 5 years it will be incredible. 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, lewelma said:

We are also working on an ecological restoration project in our back garden that faces the town belt.  Removing weeds and planting to natives.  It is a super steep hill, so all weeding and planting have to be done in a harness with a pickaxe, and my dh does the belaying. My ds, his girlfriend, my neighbour, and I have all been in the harness multiple times. Quite a mission, but in 5 years it will be incredible. 

Wow! I am soooooooooooo impressed!

[lewelma]

16 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Wow! I am soooooooooooo impressed!

Here is a photo of me! Steeper than it looks!  Removed

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by lewelma

[Faith-manor]

Lewelma, I am VERY impressed! You go, girl 💪.

[wisdomandtreasures]

3 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Do you like salsa verde?  I did that with my green tomatoes one year.  I liked it so much that I started growing tomatillos shortly after that, but green tomatoes make a great green salsa or enchilada sauce.

Ooh, I'll have to try that! I cook chicken with a jar of salsa verde mixed with cumin and lime juice. Shred the chicken, melt in a little cream cheese, and add a bunch of cilantro and make tacos. 🤤

[KungFuPanda]

18 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

Ooh, I'll have to try that! I cook chicken with a jar of salsa verde mixed with cumin and lime juice. Shred the chicken, melt in a little cream cheese, and add a bunch of cilantro and make tacos. 🤤

I love ALL those flavors!

[*****]

I'm working on putting my garden to bed for the winter. 

I came upon 2 plants about a foot and longer. I thought it was from the neighbor's tree, so I ripped one up.  That's when I discovered it had tendrils and I realized they might be grape vines, you know the juicy, sweet wine grapes. Has anyone had experience with grapes?  If I grow them, will they produce the same fruit in a few years?  (We enjoyed grapes with from friends in the past year, so this is where they may have come from.)   I ask because I have read that peach and apple grown from seed don't always produce the same fruit. 

[popmom]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:10 PM, lewelma said:

Southern Hemisphere here. I'm currently planting our vegi patch for the summer - lettuces, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, etc!

I cannot comprehend living in a place where you can grow cool weather and warm weather veggies all at the same time! Blows my mind. What is your summer climate like? 

[lewelma]

2 hours ago, popmom said:

I cannot comprehend living in a place where you can grow cool weather and warm weather veggies all at the same time! Blows my mind. What is your summer climate like? 

About high of 70 degrees low of 55, but if we get a Southerly from Antartica it will be 45 degrees and 50mph winds (about 10% of summer weather). This year they are expecting a serious drought due to el nino, which is a HUGE problem not just because of the plants but because 60% of our electricity is hydro.

[popmom]

22 minutes ago, lewelma said:

About high of 70 degrees low of 55, but if we get a Southerly from Antartica it will be 45 degrees and 50mph winds (about 10% of summer weather). This year they are expecting a serious drought due to el nino, which is a HUGE problem not just because of the plants but because 60% of our electricity is hydro.

I am surprised you get tomatoes to set fruit at those temps. That is so interesting! I am really going to protect my tomato plants and see what happens. I should be able to get tomatoes through December here with frost blankets based on your temps. We'll see. I know daylight hours plays a role, too. That may be the deal breaker for me going into fall. 

[Faith-manor]

6 hours ago, popmom said:

I am surprised you get tomatoes to set fruit at those temps. That is so interesting! I am really going to protect my tomato plants and see what happens. I should be able to get tomatoes through December here with frost blankets based on your temps. We'll see. I know daylight hours plays a role, too. That may be the deal breaker for me going into fall. 

I am not trying to keep my tomatoes producing. They had been so prolific and weighed down with fruit that the plants were just completely spent. But, they also didn't set fruit as early as is ideal in order to ripen during prime temps because the fruit was small and still growing. So I am going to use hoop houses this spring, get the soil warmed faster, and keep them coveted at night or even during the day if it is cooler than I would like, and hope that the plants mature faster so I have fruit on the vine by early June. This year the Amish Paste didn't have a single ripe tomato until mid-august, and then it was just this onslaught. Meanwhile, the cherry and grape tomatoes had ripe fruit by the beginning of the 2nd week of July. Of course, I am again such a complete novice, I have know idea if my plan will work. At least plants have stopped self-harming in my presence now! This season was a clear winner for me, and Mark says he will tell the kids they can't call me a plant assassin anymore.

[lewelma]

11 hours ago, popmom said:

I am surprised you get tomatoes to set fruit at those temps. That is so interesting! I am really going to protect my tomato plants and see what happens. I should be able to get tomatoes through December here with frost blankets based on your temps. We'll see. I know daylight hours plays a role, too. That may be the deal breaker for me going into fall. 

Well, we have to use Super Toms. So on different root stock. And we have one very sheltered place in the garden with good sun that is like a heat trap, so it is warmer than the rest. And we are at the 42nd parallel so lots of daylight hours in November-January. Tomatoes will go in in November, if I put them in now, they will die. 

[Faith-manor]

So you know how I was supposed to be done with the whole canning/drying/harvesting thing? Well, while I was gone and before all the plants were pulled, Mark picked all the jalapenos left on the plants. It was a lot. I got home from Chicago, ready to just winterize the gardens, and there was this big bowl of jalapenos on the island. He gave me these puppy dog eyes, followed by the whole kissing up routine. I fell for it. I spent this afternoon pickling jalapenos and cold pack canning them. 😂😂😂

 

[Sneezyone]

My raspberry plants are putting out a second crop of fruit so that's weird but fun. My peppers and eggplants are still setting fruit...SOOOO many, but it's starting to get too cold at night for the skinny Japanese and globe ones. The Turkish (via Africa) and Daimaru eggplants have thicker skins and may be ok a little longer. They look more like trees at this point with thick, woody stalks. I also still get a trickle of patty pan squash and a gherkin every so often. I have a ton of green tomatoes that I don't think will ripen so I will probably turn them into salsa verde and store for later. I planted my fall/winter greens - kale, collards, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. We'll see how they do. I still have to treat/cover to prevent moths from laying eggs on 'em. I've also been pruning my lemongrass and drying it for later use. Next year, I think I will put some galangal in the ground just to see what happens. Today, I picked two strawberry buckets full of banana peppers, poblano, and havasu peppers.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Sneezyone

[regentrude]

Do flowers count? I have been planting native perennials, started in 2021, and this year they really leaped.
Currently blooming:  The showy goldenrod is 6 ft tall and flowering. The blue sage is also taller than I am and about at its end. Golden asters are blooming, even the ones I just planted in May. Aromatic asters, New England Asters, a profusion of white heath asters, all to the delight of the pollinators.

I no longer try to grow vegetables. Last year, the deer ate everything to the ground, and I would have to invest in serious fencing. Trying to grow anything edible besides herbs has been endlessly frustrating and just makes me angry (this year, we are having an infestation of mole). Now I just grow flowers. Food for pollinators and the soul.

My backyard woodlands restoration is progressing nicely; the sea oats are setting seed, and the elephant's foot. Mistflower, white snakeroot and late boneset are at the end of their bloom; I didn't plant them, just encouraged natural spread. Not sure if that counts.

Edited October 11, 2023 by regentrude

[Faith-manor]

36 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Do flowers count? I have been planting native perennials, started in 2021, and this year they really leaped.
Currently blooming:  The showy goldenrod is 6 ft tall and flowering. The blue sage is also taller than I am and about at its end. Golden asters are blooming, even the ones I just planted in May. Aromatic asters, New England Asters, a profusion of white heath asters, all to the delight of the pollinators.

I no longer try to grow vegetables. Last year, the deer ate everything to the ground, and I would have to invest in serious fencing. Trying to grow anything edible besides herbs has been endlessly frustrating and just makes me angry (this year, we are having an infestation of mole). Now I just grow flowers. Food for pollinators and the soul.

My backyard woodlands restoration is progressing nicely; the sea oats are setting seed, and the elephant's foot. Mistflower, white snakeroot and late boneset are at the end of their bloom; I didn't plant them, just encouraged natural spread. Not sure if that counts.

We LOVE to hear about flowers! I am always impressed when people can grow them. I am still a bit of a plant assassin and haven't quite mastered the pretty things. So I live vicariously through flower people. I am going to branch out though and try sunflowers. I have heard they are resistant to assassination attempts! 😁

Moles are evil, sheer evil! I hate them, and they make all vegetable gardening attempts just maddening. You need an evil cat. A half starved, seriously sadistic cat will usually thin them out. Don't give it kibble. You have to make it want to eat the blasted things.

I love that you are planting for pollinators, and absolutely encourage wild, natural, native plants to grow is worthy of posting about here. We love it!

[cjzimmer1]

43 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Do flowers count? I have been planting native perennials, started in 2021, and this year they really leaped.
Currently blooming:  The showy goldenrod is 6 ft tall and flowering. The blue sage is also taller than I am and about at its end. Golden asters are blooming, even the ones I just planted in May. Aromatic asters, New England Asters, a profusion of white heath asters, all to the delight of the pollinators.

I no longer try to grow vegetables. Last year, the deer ate everything to the ground, and I would have to invest in serious fencing. Trying to grow anything edible besides herbs has been endlessly frustrating and just makes me angry (this year, we are having an infestation of mole). Now I just grow flowers. Food for pollinators and the soul.

My backyard woodlands restoration is progressing nicely; the sea oats are setting seed, and the elephant's foot. Mistflower, white snakeroot and late boneset are at the end of their bloom; I didn't plant them, just encouraged natural spread. Not sure if that counts.

Absolutely!

I've been working on flowers lately myself.  The neighbors have a length of fence about 60 feet that I hate mowing against so last year, I mulched about two feet out from it the whole length and have slowly (like almost nothing this year because of my fractured foot issues), planting perennials there.  This week I just planted about 4 dozen hyacinth and tulip bulbs. I can see almost the whole stretch from my sunroom so next spring I can enjoy them even when it's too cold and miserable (cause I'm a complete wimp about cold weather) to go outside to see them.

Also in the greenhouse one of the products we sell is some combo pots that have three different flowers in the them (the grower actually puts them together and we get them as tiny starts that have all 3 together).  We had an amazing assortment of verbena this year.  I love the colors and the fact that they are such hearty flowers.  Anyways for various reasons, the selection of combos we are getting next year doesn't have near the diversity of verbena colors as this year so I've got 4 of the best from this year that I'm taking cuttings of and will try to root them and grow them in the sunroom over winter.  I don't care if they flower (of course if they do that would be amazing), I just need to keep plants alive till the spring when I can take new cuttings for my outdoor beds.  

[cjzimmer1]

13 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

We LOVE to hear about flowers! I am always impressed when people can grow them. I am still a bit of a plant assassin and haven't quite mastered the pretty things. So I live vicariously through flower people. I am going to branch out though and try sunflowers. I have heard they are resistant to assassination attempts! 😁

Moles are evil, sheer evil! I hate them, and they make all vegetable gardening attempts just maddening. You need an evil cat. A half starved, seriously sadistic cat will usually thin them out. Don't give it kibble. You have to make it want to eat the blasted things.

I love that you are planting for pollinators, and absolutely encourage wild, natural, native plants to grow is worthy of posting about here. We love it!

I agree!  Although I've had more issues with mice than moles this year.  I have quite a few traps out around my flower and vegetables.  I know I've gotten at least a dozen of the little critters.  I just haven't been keeping up keeping them baited or I'm sure I would have had many more.