Garden Gleanings - It must be time

Posted Sunday, September 21, 2008, at 6:37 PM

It must be time to do some serious weeding on the second set of garden beds. When your better half makes a comment about it being time to weed-eat the garden, there is not much doubt.

There is only a gourd and a tomato plant hanging on that side, but the comment is enough, it is time to weed.

The radishes are running strong as expected, the beets are slow to barely doing anything, but it is two year old seed. The carrots are expected to be slow and the bok-choy is OK but not great.

The corn is tasseling but the lack of rain has it shorter than normal. Unless I am willing to water it every other day, it will probably not do well. I would not count on getting any corn from us this fall.

Anyone else have a fall garden going?

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I just got re-tilled and gonna throw out a couple handfulls of turnip green seeds in the next couple of days. After that, I think my garden is about done for the year.

-- Posted by craftin_mom on Sun, Sep 21, 2008, at 6:46 PM

Turnip greens! I have been looking for a productive cover crop and can not believe I let those slip my mind. Thanks!

-- Posted by stevemills on Mon, Sep 22, 2008, at 8:41 AM

Are you too far north for collards? They make a great cover crop when sown instead of planted individually. Plus they are better'n turnip greens any day of the week.

Collards

1 good mess collards, de-stemmed, chopped

2 qts. water

1/2 c. vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 good chunk country ham hock

1 lemon, scrubbed, halved

salt to taste

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion peeled, left whole or chopped coursely

2-3 cloves garlic crushed

Simmer for at least an hour or two.

This is the pot liquor that will cure just about anything that ails you. Sip it out of a cup or pour it over cornbread for a country gourmet treat. The greens are particularly good with roast pork and sweet potatoes.

-- Posted by dmcg on Tue, Sep 23, 2008, at 1:48 AM

Grrrreat! I am ready for some now!

I'm in Southern Bell Buckle, so I think I can grow either one.

-- Posted by stevemills on Tue, Sep 23, 2008, at 8:04 AM

Well, maybe not quite now, unless you recommend them for breakfast too!

-- Posted by stevemills on Tue, Sep 23, 2008, at 8:05 AM

Morning, noon or night. They're good and good for you. Good luck, they aren't too good until they've had a good hard frost. The cold really sweetens them up.

It takes some pretty cold weather to kill them. We usually have them fresh from the garden all winter. But like all brassicas once they bolt in early spring, late winter, the party is over.

Nothin' better'n going out in the snow for a mess of collards. Yum, yum.

-- Posted by dmcg on Tue, Sep 23, 2008, at 8:08 PM

Bedford Ramblings

Steve Mills

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Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter and live on a farm outside of Bell Buckle. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.

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