Gardening

Things are winding up with the last of the Summer plants. The Sunchokes look pretty sad. I've 2 fruits on the Winter Squash I planted back in early July. In a couple of days I'll harvest the oldest as Summer Squash. So much for that experiment;>!
I should be able to harvest my 1st Turnips around Halloween/Samhain and while I could harvest some of the Collards I'll wait till a few days after Frost.
While I'm a big fan of the family, I don't like Collards and HATE Kale! So, this Summer I Googled the sweetest cultivars of Collards and found 2, of which the rarest I grew out, 'White Mountain'. It's an Appalachian Heirloom so it should do well here in E TN. I've tasted the thinnings and they were very sweet. Been nibbling bits for the last month and so far so good. Pretty too. Unfortunately, snails like it too!
Should have Chinese and Korean Daikons next month. No sign of swelling stems on the Kohlrabi and it's WAY to soon for Beets.
Cheers!
Pat

For the last few yrs they've been reporting on the Jowo, an Asian Spider that's spreading on the SE of the USA. Well, THEY'RE HERE;>!!!!!!!
Saw one this AM on the W side of the house. Reminds me of one we called a "Banana Spider" on the Florida Panhandle. Web was only about 6' in diameter and the spider's body was about the size of a fingerling potato. The legs spread about a salad plate.
Pretty though......
Would hate to walk into one's web though;>.
Cheers,
Pat(1 piece of Halloween decor already;>!)

Normally, Fall is when I evaluate what I grew and whether it's worth Growing again. I also look through seed catalogues to think about next yr. About 2 months ago, I found myself ordering Spring seeds with my Fall/Winter seeds. I keep getting the "Feeling" a lot of things won't be easily available next yr. Hopefully I'm wrong but yesterday I put in my Tomato order.
I'm not having the same Feelings I had back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Don't think we're playing Chicken with another Apocalypse but something like the shortages at least as bad a during COVID or maybe as bad as that during the Depression(esp due to weather). Anyhoo, it never hurts to have extra seeds in the fridge just in case......
Cheers,
Pat

So, it's basically mid Sept and 10F above the usual day temps this time of yr but I can't hold off any longer. It's already too late here to plant Napa Cabbage seeds if you hadn't started them indoors already. Putting a note in my journal to remind myself next yr....
Got 2 kinds of Daikon planted, a Chinese and a Korean. Surprisingly, no Japanese Daikon this yr;>. Pak Choi, Japanese Turnips, Rainbow Carrots and Green Onion seeds are in this am. Planted the rest of the Kohlrabi seedlings and the 1st Collard and Leek seedlings. Tomorrow I'll start on the Biannual and Perennial Flower seedlings.
Cheers,
Pat

I've been a big Heirloom fanatic since the 70's. Even the African Violets I grew were species or hybrids decades old(including 3 of the original 10 hybrids;>!). The Florida Panhandle was depressing. The seed companies after WW2 successfully wiped all local cultivars. The closest were some Georgian Heirloom greens.
Here, E TN has a much better record of saving. For next yr I've found Winter Squash and melon Heirlooms but the WINNER is a Green Bean originally from a town 20 miles from my house that the gov't "removed" in the 30's...Cade's Cove. Can't wait to grow it next Spring!
Cheers,
Pat

My silver Line Korean Melon vines are going gangbusters and I've harvested the 1st 2. The subject line says it all. Not awful, just "meh". Basically, a mediocre supermarket Honeydew with a texture somewhere between an apple and a carrot. Don't think I'll grow it again, though it grew so well;>!!!!!
However, it's encouraged me to grow melons next Summer. I've ordered already because I've experience waiting till January to order and find out the seeds have been discontinued.
Melons: Kajari, Hara Madhu, Petit Gris De Rennes and Tennessee Muskmelon. Oddly enough, the one I worry about growing is Tennessee. Even though it's a state heirloom variety, it's supposed to be difficult to figure out the right time to harvest. Doesn't slip, tendril doesn't shrivel, starts perfuming the patch pretty much a week or so after the blossom falls off. Oh, and apparently it's best slightly ripe;>!
I'll also be giving Ayote Green Fleshed Winter Squash another chance. Supposedly, it's good to start up to the 4th of July. I planted it the 1st. It hasn't bloomed yet so I'm not holding my breath for a Winter but I may be able to use it as a Summer Squash.
In A couple of weeks I'll start planting my Fall/Winter veg. Yesterday I started some Kohlrabi seeds indoors. The rest will wait till the nights get below 80F to plant in ground.
While my garden has always been a lifesaver for me, it esp has been this week. Last Wednesday morning my Partner of 30+ yrs Chuck Passed. He'd been in a nursing home for the last 3 yrs but I went and visited every Sunday. The Sunday before he Passed he had a wet cough and was pretty much unresponsive which is never a good sign so I wasn't surprised, just sad.
He had been a very active man so being bedridden drove him nuts so He's surely glad he's free of it.
Cheers,
Pat

This month I'm getting my Fall perennials, biennials and cool season veg ordered and started. The ornamentals are all planted and some have even germinated(the Stocks mostly. It's only been 2 weeks;>!). The veg, the ones I don't have any left have mostly been ordered.
Mostly, it's my Winter Greatest Hits; Leeks, Turnips, Radishes, Pak Choi, Green Onions. My only totally new(well, here) is an Artichoke. I'm trying a 1st yr type, starting it in August, planting it in late Sept-early Oct and overwinter to hopefully produce in Spring. I tried in NW Florida but the Summer Heat comes on in May so it didn't like that AT ALL. Hopefully, we'll have a Spring like this yr....nice and long.
I've got a single plant of both Oca and Ullico left. The Ashitaba seemed to recover shipping then last week dropped dead. The Skirret and Scorzonera are barely alive since deer REAAAAALLLLY like them. Almost as much as they like Hostas and Parsley! The Turkish Rocket's holding it's own and 'Good King Henry' is actually thriving.
I've been Harvesting the Red Brandywines since last month and the Ground Cherries have just started. Perfect Weeding Rewards;>! There's finally female blossoms forming on the Korean Melons so hopefully I'll get a few. The ones I grew in Florida barely produced and were more like slightly sweet cucumbers. Go to look up when to ripen since I'm pretty sure I won't luck out with them ripening like watermelons or muskmelons....
Cheers(and LOTS of SWEAT!!!!!)
Pat