Finally back up to speed- November Happenings

Ok- now that I have tried to recall what happend this season, here is what is happening thus far:

• Hard Frost happend this week....so it is all done in the main garden
• Pulled EVERYTHING and pilled up the new beds I want, as well as covered all existing beds with debris and straw
• Pulling straw from all paths and piling onto the beds
• Planted garlic (in October)
• Bok Choi looks very good
• Cabbage moths/worms finally dead
• Need to transplant spinach into cold frame

October Summary

Again, from my memory...but what I remember is that it was an AWESOME harvest month.

• Seeing as last month was October, I still have very great memories!  Great memories of good harvests....and of stink bugs :(
• Before I mention the great things, I just have to mention how horrendous the stink bugs were this year. I mean we had several swarm days, and maybe a few of them were in September.... Anyhow, we had THOUSANDS on our house, and I literally hated it.  I actually got Country Pest and Termite to come out BEFORE the first swarm which I think helped.  All the news talked about how bad this year was....they were relentless.  They were also all over my parents Airstream which I had to go in to clean up for some people who were looking at it.  I HATE STINKBUGS!  In the cars, in the house, everywhere!
• Beyond stinkbugs, GREEN BEANS (Masai) were amazing
• Pulled all pumpkins, boston marrow, and coosa. Stink bugs just too bad. I only got (3) Boston Marrow, but hey- that is ok!
• Tomatoes keep coming! Although cooler, still got loads of San Marzano's
• Pulled Sprite Melons
• Still eating Sweet Potato leaves and pulled a few potatoes. But honestly I don't want to get the potatoes cause I will then have to stop eating the leaves!
• Pulled Endamame, they got heaps of pods finally but the pods had barely anything in them. I think it was because of the drought.  Decided to use their remains in building up my new beds.
• Planted fall crops (I think I did this is September) cabbage, Kale, beets, carrots, and bok choi
• Harvested dry beans - ok season.
• Planted cold frame with lettuce, beats, and kale.
• Planted garlic
• Pulled sweet potatoes at the end of the month

September Summary

Again, this is all from memory  (which is not that good these days) since I was too busy to write!

• Such a great month for harvest.  Bush beans (masai) I planted in July started producing -- awesome.
• Sweet potatoes continued to look great and I continued to eat their leaves!
• Endamame still growing, just beginning to flower, these need the longest season ever!
• Planted fava beans too late.....never got anything, pulled plants
• Pulled final potatoes.....not very happy with the grow bags
• New Zealand spinach going crazy!
• Found 3 Boston Marrow growing, but the stink bugs and cucumber beetles are all super attacking. Many vines are going limp, I was so bummed
• Butternut squash grew in the craziest of places that I did not plant it - my cold frame and the fire pit! (since I didn't plant any this year it was welcomed surprise)
• Peppers seem to be doing well, I made some hot pepper jelly and at least I loved it!
• Raspberries and blackberries doing awesome- we have been picking yummy fruit all season!
• Apples look great too!
• Planted hanging planters with lettuce, and kale
• Planted cabbage from Southern States in main garden
  

The 2010 main season is over....August Summary

and it was such an intense season that I stopped posting after July 27th!  Eek!  Since the point of this blog is to help me learn what works, and what does not......I will try to remember the details since August!

AUGUST:
So I went on vacation for two weeks and had an AMAZING garden sitter- Gina Faber.  She took such great care of my garden, sent me email about its progress and questions about what I planted.  It really was a relief to know someone so good was watching my garden.  She even used piola on the blister beetles!  If she hadn't done that, I don't know what would have been left.  Anyhow, she saved alot of the harvest for me in the freezer, ate alot for herself, and donated to Interfaith kitchen!  So what a great 2- weeks. When I got back, everything looked good - just other parts of the house looked crazy.  The weeds took over our patio area by the pond - gotta see if there is anything I can do about that next year!  The rest of August was very dry, here is what I remember?

• My tomato harvest was VERY, VERY good.  I made alot of salsa, and basic sauce.  I was abit worried that I wouldn't have enough tomatoes, so I used my 'tab' at PVF and bought (2) ponies of tomatoes.  Looking back on that time, I actually had tons of tomatoes myself and didn't need to necessarily buy my own. Anyhow, the salsa is a big hit and I hope I have enough for the winter season! 
• Had alot of papaya squash and ultimately I ripped it out.  The stink bugs were pretty bad  on the squash and I decided to end a good thing, I pulled all the plants in hopes of stopping the 'reproduction' festival.  One thing I don't like in the garden is 'chaos'........well bad chaos like an infestation and I opt to pull when this happens.
• SPRITE MELONS like crazy! I actually mixed the Sprites with another melon.  They both were sweet and delicious and we used them alot, gave away alot, and froze alot for winter smoothies.  Planted too many, took over the whole bed and then some!
• Sweet Potatoes love their new bed.  They were gorgeous and beautiful. I learned from PVF that you can EAT the leaves!  This became my new favorite addition to green smoothies.  Easy taste, and just yummy.
• Pulled the Romanesco.  Not sure if it was too hot, but it never produced fruit.
• Perennial onions doing great.....
• Pumpkins, delicata, Boston Marrow and Coosa doing great....but the stink bugs got the upper hand.  I tried to kill what I could, so before they took over I ended up getting some Coosa. They were DELICIOUS, and if I can manage the pests, I would grow them again.

So for August, I think that is a good summary.