My last harvest this year. Our nights are getting chillier and days getting shorter. So long summertime, I'll see you again next year. With a heavy heart I pulled up all of my tomato, zucchini and cucumber plants. It was hard picking the tomatoes before they have a chance to ripen, but I wanted to experiment with a winter crop this year. Most of my plants were getting moldy as well, it's just time for a clean up. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all this tomato! I pickled some of the green ones and gave some away. I still have 2 full bags in the fridge.
The summer has been wonderful, besides for a few supplemental veggies we haven't had to buy produce since late June. We're not huge salad eater mind you, we still have to buy fruit. I wish I had enough land for an orchard (and some llamas, goats & chickens)! LOL
I cleared the beds, tilled the soil and added some some bone meal and fertilizer to the mix. Not too much just enough to replenish the soil after a summer's worth of growth. I've never overwintered plants before and I'm not sure if I'm starting too late in the year. We still have a few warm days left, I hope this is enough to germinate the seeds I've planted. I'll need to make some kind of frost protection, maybe plastic sheets over the hoops?
I spaced out my chard and onion in the small bed, they were being crowded by my tomatoes during the summer. Hopefully they'll survive the transplant and last me a few more months. I've heard that chard is a hardy plant and do well in cool/cold weather.
All of the local nurseries and garden centers have cleared out their stock of edibles. Besides for herbs like rosemary and sage I couldn't find much so I had to resort to seeds. I think next year I'll start some seedlings in September for my winter crop. I chose broccoli and cabbage, they're hardy plants.
While I was at it I bought some tulip and allium bulbs too. They give me something to look forward to come springtime.
try making tomato butter, it is AMAZING.
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