Dear Diary:
October 16 - Frost
October 17 - Frost
October 19 - Assess Frost Damage
October 20 - End 2010 Season
Whoa! That was fast! All of our veggies were slowing down, and we were pretty well running out of our staples, carrots, green beans, etc. We were hoping to squeeze ONE more week of deliveries out of the garden. But the quality as well as the volume dropped off just as fast, and the frost put the BIG SKIDS on ALL of our crops, particularly our warm weather crops. As quickly as our spinach popped out of the ground, we were sure that there would be several harvests, we did have one small harvest. As for the corn, even though the silk was dry and brown, the kernels inside didn't form very well and therefore didn't ripen.
Our growing "pains" (snigger, pun intended) were weather related. For instance, we had our tomatoes covered, in a hoop house, with the ends open. (I in my ball cap, dreaming of beautiful, sweet, juicy tomatoes.) Then BAM! A couple of days of warm weather and high humidity was all it took for the wilt to set in. Within a few days the entire crop was infected. Yes, I did grab about 14 green tomatoes off the vines (what I could carry at one time) and put them in the greenhouse to ripen. They did ripen, and they didn't have much flavor, similar to cardboard. (And, yes, when I was a curious kid, I did chew on a corner of some cardboard. No flavor and salt wouldn't have helped it.)
We'll keep posting throughout the winter. We do have some exciting plans for next year that we want to share with you. i.e. garden area expansion, produce stand, etc.
(This picture is what we think may be a "hybrid" between a dog and a coyote. The picture was taken through our bathroom window a couple of weeks ago.) Happy trails! XXOO
