Fall Bounty & Starting The 2011 Garden

By: Ron Cusano           Aug. 28, 2010                             Vol. 2  Article 1017

     It’s the week before Labor Day weekend, so why am I thinking about and actually starting next years garden?  The fact is, it’s the perfect time to consider changes for next year, while they are fresh in your mind.  For instance, rabbits have become a big problem in my garden since I no longer have a dog. My wife wants no part of another dog, so I need to take other steps to keep the bunny family from dining in my garden. Since I garden in 4 x 8 or 4 x 10 raised beds, I plan to build a low fence around each bed, probably made out of 1 x 2 strips and 1” mesh chicken wire, in 8’, 10’ & 4’ panels that can be added or removes quickly & easily.    
   It’s Time To Plant Garlic!  This is the time to plant next years garlic crop, so it has a chance to develop a strong root system before heavy ground frost. I use cloves from the largest fresh garlic bulbs I can find at the local Italian supermarket, which are usually the “softneck” variety.  Over the years I have found NO DIFFERENCE in quality or yield using supermarket garlic, that buying the very overpriced commercial offerings. This planting was about 1-month earlier that last year.
     I pulled up some dead tomato vines that had been weakened by disease, and turned in about 3 gallons of old coffee grinds I had been collecting, to all organic matter to the area. Garlic loves organic rich soil. I planted the cloves, root side down, and spaced about 4” apart. I also sprayed the area with a little “Deer Off” to try to keep the squirrels from digging them up.
     I picked a very large batch of basil for the dehydrator, and the first of my “Joe’s Long Red Cayenne Peppers” that turned bright red. The plants are full of peppers still green, and they are all 7”-9” long.  I have never seen Cayenne’s this big, I am looking forward to a great batch of dried hot pepper flakes from my dehydrator.
     My Bell Peppers have also been turning red, which is how my wife prefers them, and I picked about a dozen this week. My potato vines are starting to die off and I am hoping there is a good crop under that soil.  My beets are huge, as my carrots appear to be. Both will hold well in the ground until the ground freezes, and even long after, if I put a mulch over them.
     Fall peas are up, but the rabbits have been munching on them. Sprayed with Deer Off and praying! My cabbage is starting to curl some center leaves which means they will be heading soon.  My brussel sprouts are budding and my Fall beans are doing well, protected from the bunnies by a make shift mesh fence.  Might get a melon or two, but overall they were a disappointment.  Got some cukes and zukes, buy had poor yields in spite of great plant growth. Seems to have been a shortage of bees this years.  Had a huge crop of cherry tomatoes, but my main crop was limited because of wilt. Next year i will deal with that before planting.
     How about posting about your garden in our Interactive Message Boards “Garden Talk”   See the link at the top of the page!

Blessings,

Ron
“The Garden Guy”