It may seem crazy to start planting a new set of crops at a time when the garden is producing a ton of summer vegetables – but among the heavy harvest of peppers, tomatoes and onions this past week – in went the seeds for our fall crops.
As we pass the mid-point of August – it’s one last chance in our region to enjoy fresh produce this fall before the trees go bare and the cold and snow of winter are upon us.
Seeds for sugar snap peas, radishes, green onions, cilantro, lettuce and cabbage all went in the ground. We are usually able to harvest the fall planting from late September through mid October – or until the first hard freeze puts the garden to bed for good.
In many ways – fall crops are easier to plant and grow than those we plant in the spring. The soil is warm – easy to work, and the seeds germinate and grow quickly. The cooler temperatures at night aid as well in keeping plants from bolting. With all of the garden and yard chores starting to slow down – it also seems as though we can enjoy the fall crops a little more than in the spring.
Just About Time For Garlic:
Now that the fall crops are in – we will concentrate in a few weeks on our last garden planting of the year – garlic! Garlic really benefits from a fall planting. (See: How To Grow Garlic). We plant our garlic right around the first of September – allowing it to get a good start in the ground before winter sets in. Once the tops stop growing in the fall and brown up – we cover with a good 4″ mulching of shredded leaves or straw. It will help keep it insulated from the harsh winter – and allow it to start growing strong again in the spring for a great early June crop. Although you can plant garlic in the spring – a fall planting allows for much larger bulbs to harvest.
Canning, Canning, And More Canning!
The garden harvest canning continues at a crazy pace. It seems like every time we think we are caught up with the “just picked” produce – the table fills up with more. This past week, we canned 54 quarts of tomato juice and 24 pints of salsa – with ketchup and pasta sauce to come today. It’s nice to know we will have a ready-made supply to enjoy through the winter!
TV Crew At The Farm
Beyond the planting and canning – we were excited this past week to have a visit from anchor Kristyn Hartman and CBS affiliate WBNS-10TV from Columbus, Ohio. In addition to her nightly anchoring duties, Kristyn hosts a weekly segment called Side Roads of Central Ohio, featuring unique stories from the region.
We had a blast sharing the farm, garden, and our experiences with Kristyn – and 10TV will feature Old World Garden Farms as part of the Side Roads series on August 28th, during their 5 to 6 o’clock news hour. We will be sure to post a link to the story once it airs for those out of our viewing area. Thanks again to Kristyn and her cameraman Jeff for coming out – it was such a pleasure to meet two great people and share a little of the farm with them!
Happy Gardening!
Jim and Mary
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