Thursday, September 8, 2011

September in my Garden

Not much is happening in my garden this week. I venture out between showers to grab a tomato or pepper but the five plus inches of rain this week means LOTS of mud!

I know we have nothing compared to those who have experienced 15  or more inches of rain. I'm actually enjoying some indoor time to catch up with some projects. After a dry summer, rain is music. But I'm guessing that my September garden list may need to wait until October.

September can be a wonderful gardening month. The weather usually cools, but the harvest is often abundant. The problem with September is that I'm usually burned out. No longer is fresh veggies exciting as in the spring. The war with the weeds and bugs has been given up. Chewed sweet potato leaves no longer make me angry. Just eat the old things and see if I care.

Because I don't really care that there is more beans out there. Three foot tall weeds fail to annoy me. I hope that no one walks back to the garden, since I choose to ignore it. I know that frost will soon come and put an end to all garden ventures. The garden will lay waste, slowly my enthusiasm will build, by spring I'll be desperate to get my hands in the soil again.

If the garden does dry out, there is plenty of garden tasks, if I'm motivated to get out there and do them. 

Here is my list of jobs for this month in my garden.

1.See if the ground hogs left any pumpkins untouched. A quick search apparently found every pumpkin, few that there was, with teeth marks. If any escaped, allow to cure.

2. Dig potatoes. Our late planting of potatoes is actually still green but the plants should be dying back soon. We like to plant the bulk of our potatoes late (mid-June) so that they are picked in cooler weather and last longer into the winter.

3. Continue enjoying the garden produce. We are still picking green beans, tomatoes, squash and peppers but it will soon be ending so I want to take advantage of each opportunity. Late broccoli is almost ready to begin harvesting.

4. Plant more lettuce and spinach for fall harvest. I also want to start our raised bed/hoop house again.

5. Clean up the perennial beds, trim back the old flowers and divide perennials such as day-lilies, so that they can get re-established before cold weather.

6. Plant some pansies in the bare spots of the perennial beds. Pansies planted now usually live through the winter and are the first cheerful face to greet the spring!

7. Dig the sweet potatoes before first frost. Not expecting to find much of anything. We planted late and the ground hogs have been eating the leaves all summer. But maybe...

8. As areas of the garden are finished for the season, spread some compost and till the soil.

9. Watch for signs of the first frost, and before it hits, pick all peppers. I like to chop them up, spread on baking sheets, freeze, then place in bags for easy use in recipes all winter.

Writing about it (almost) gets me excited about getting into the garden again! Some crisp autumn day, you will  find me out with my hoe, appearing to enjoy every minute. Today, I'll enjoy the rain and a cup of tea!

8 comments :

  1. I had to laugh in reading this - it is so my attitude about the garden right now. However, in our case it is because it is so darn hot. It has been triple digits for days now and who wants to garden when it is like that.

    By the way - I agree totally with the comment you left on the ShooFly cake - it reminds me of fall too.

    Blessings

    Sandra

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  2. glad to know I'm not hte only one kind of burned out despite all the "to-do's" on my list. Thank you for being transparent because it makes me feel less guilty if that is possible :)

    great job Gina - I just really like your blog!!

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  3. i have to laugh! You sound just like me when it come to gardening right now. Somehow, my priorities have changed.

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  4. Enjoy the rainy day!!! you are so deserving!!!!

    Blessings,
    Debbie S.

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  5. Yes, I agree, I get to feeling the same way. I get so excited for the garden, but by the end of the summer I am weary too, and have to keep the momentum going. Just reading what you write gets my pep back again, and helps me feel enthusiastic. We have been finally been getting some rain here in Colorado... it has been very scarce this year. We don't seem to have ground hogs here thank goodness. Love reading what you write about your routine. Blessings,
    Pam

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  6. what a useful list! I've found cheap peppers at market to freeze too.

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  7. I am burned out as well. I wanted to tell you that I have tried your tomato freezing trick and it is wonderful!
    Also, I am planning to buy the row cover you mentioned this year.

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  8. Wow!! You know exactly how I feel. With so much canning to do, it is hard to find time to spend in the garden. But the season is fast coming to a close anyway. Plants are starting to yellow and die back and the only things still vigorously growing are all the weeds. Thanks for a wonderful post!!!

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