In addition to my canning frenzy I’ve been busy taking things out and putting things in lately. My brassicas have been under the grow lights for way longer then I care to admit, getting leggy and crowded and pleading for freedom.
I finally took the corn out the other night (braving rat attacks) and put them in, covering them with remay to protect the tender seedlings from what last few hot days we may have yet. I’m woefully behind getting a great many things in ground that I should have started either late last month or early August. I’m behind, even by my own fall planting plan but I’m really behind according to the biodynamic planting calendar.
I’ve been meaning forever to get a copy of the farmer’s almanac since I’m an urban farmer and all now but wanted to take things one step further since biodynamic is yesterday’s organic. I checked the BD planting chart and saw that everything should have been in pretty much by July 30th. Oops.
But then reading on I see that I should be “ashing” the skin and innards of rats to sprinkle around the garden when Venus is in the Scorpion as protection against future rats in the garden. Missed that deadline as well. Maybe I’ll skip the biodynamic teachings this year and stick to what’s working ok for me so far.
If you haven’t considered gardening year round in Seattle yet you really should. One of the books that inspired me to take this on is called “Four Season Harvest” by Eliot Coleman. It’s one of those books worth actually purchasing.
How about you? What plans do you have for growing anything fall, winter or spring?
Oh, I’ve been loving your blog this week. I’m exhausted just reading your canning frenzy and shedding a few tears for you over the Cherokee Purple rat thief. As Lily would say, Grrrrrrr! I also hadn’t thought of the grease trap in the grill, thank you! I’m also way behind in fall planting, but I did manage to get some arugula and beans in the beds. Hopefully this weekend I’ll get some more kale, lettuce and carrots in. Oh, and I did plant some cauliflower starts from the co-op, half of which didn’t make it. As for the other half, they’re growing, I think.
Ummm… the rat innard thing is a puzzler but the “in by July 30th” is actually good advice! LOL!
I have been migrating the garden to fall production for over a month now and I noticed this evening that several of the fall kohlrabi is already ready for harvesting! I am still up to my eye balls in the peak summer produce – so I will let them get just a mite bigger before I harvest. It did feel like fall today though.
Hi Sara – my canning frenzy will be going on for a few more weeks as I just brought home a box of peaches and a box of apples from the market plus have two big bowels of tomatoes waiting upstairs. And of course the rat is good fodder – I pulled some radishes today while clearing out a bed then stepped inside the answer the phone, looked out the window and saw Ratbert had already helped himself to one. He was quite large and bold, just waiting for me to step away from my pile of tasty things.
KitsapFG – can’t believe you are already HARVESTING fall crops! I have yet to put my dang collard greens in the ground. Tomorrow morning, I swear…
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Gardening here in Houston is a challenge (like everywhere) and we are just now getting out of 90+ degree weather during the day. . I went ahead and put broccoli and cabbage seedlings in the ground yesterday and woke up to a temp of 60 degrees! Whoopee! Maybe autumn is really here after all! High today will only be 85! My patio tomato is feeling alive again, but my garden tomatoes finally went into the compost. . I’m getting bell peppers again, so I left them alone — they’re almost 5′ tall!
Still reading through your archives!