September 20, 2022
There is a definite feeling of change in the air of late, and the days are so very noticeably shorter. Splashes of yellow leaves are showing up here and there, and the soft maples are starting to show a faint burgundy tinge. We had one very cool night last week, which prompted us to cover the tomatoes and squash. The temperature has rebounded somewhat, but more very cool nights are in the forecast, and very soon there will be frost. Yesterday, it rained off and on all day with some fairly intense thunder storms intermixed. The result in the rain gauge this morning is over an inch and a half. We have already drained two, no longer needed, water barrels in preparation for freeze up.
I've been busy harvesting and processing tomatoes as they ripen, have picked, diced and frozen the remaining peppers, and called it quits on the apple harvest, after filling a shelf with applesauce, apple butter and dried slices. Crab apple juice is in the freezer for future processing into jelly.
All the pumpkins and squash, except for the sweet potato squash have been harvested, cleaned and stored.
Four pie pumpkin seeds, in two hills have produced 18 pumpkins! (13 were harvested earlier from the other hill.) Some of the acorn squash have been gnawed at by voles, but the pumpkin and butternut squash are unscathed. The sweet potato squash have started to turn from mottled lime green, to a sort of beige colour, and I recently measured one's circumference at just over 36 inches.
The fall lettuce and greens bed is coming into it's own with these cooler temperatures. Broccoli is continually putting out side shoots, and turnips and carrots have yet to be pulled. They can take a bit of frost, so other chores are before them on the list.
On a recent weekend, with our son's help, we got the woodshed topped up, finishing the splitting and piling of the beech trees we'd harvested. That gives us a good two year supply, but tree harvesting will be an on-going chore, as we like to keep ahead, cutting enough to replace what we use as the winter proceeds. The chimneys are all cleaned, ready for the heating season, and we have already lit the fire a few times on these cool, damp, rainy days.
Good idea, chopping and freezing peppers! I’ve processed tomatoes with more to come. I’m just so done with beans- just going to rip the plants out. Must feel nice to have your wood sorted. - Jenn
ReplyDeleteCredit Mama Pea for the peppers. Ditto here, on the beans! The wood is an ongoing thing, but yes, at this moment...the woodshed is full.
Deletewhat a harvest. I love those colourful peppers.
ReplyDeleteAnd tasty also!
DeleteLook at all those squash! Wow! Lovely pepper haul as well.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the sweet potato squash. Mine were slow starters as well, and now have dozens of small squash starting to grow. We have more time until frost than you, but I doubt all of them will make it. I may try to start some early indoors next spring,
It has been a good growing season. That is the second picking of peppers, and they are blooming again now. I wish there had been more butternuts, but those other, stripey things were in the same packet of seeds. I think I'll give the sw. potato squash an earlier start next year as well.
DeleteI sorted and picked over garlic yesterday. As soon as I pull the tomato plants I'll work in a bag of manure, wait a week or so, then plant the garlic.
ReplyDeleteStill have onions and garlic to clean and store. Pulled all the bean plants, stripped and pulled all the tomato plants today. I'd rather do it before they all become slimy mush after frost. Tomorrow night looks like it may well be frosty.
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