by Amy Swanson
Fall Produce on the way to the pantry
Did you know that garlic buds and their cloves are actually the seed of the plant? So if you want to plant garlic, take that bud off your counter, split it into the individual cloves and plant. That is what we did this morning. Turned over one of the beds from a previous crop that was done and planted garlic. But here’s what I don’t know because I forgot to ask… is the newly planted garlic for next spring, or is it one of the cool-weather, quickly regenerating crops that can be harvested later this fall?
With freeze warnings out, we were sent on a mission to scour the tomato plants. Pick all that were ripening… if it were blush colored or ½ red, pick. The rest of the maturing will happen on the counter, and it won’t take all that long. Lots and lots and lots of cherry tomatoes. The chickens think we are the best. Why? Because they get all the tomato rejects!
The garden keeps on giving! Guess what beds are still producing… tho not at the pace of their “high season” ? Strawberries and asparagus. Yes, imagine my surprise when we were sent to weed the asparagus bed and found new spears. In total, we had about 5 or 6 spears to cut. The asparagus and strawberry beds will be getting an early feed of composted manure.
How many Interfaith Gardeners does it take to pick cucumbers? Apparently 4 and 3 different attempts. Cucumbers do a very good job of hiding under the leaves. First Carla went out to pick. So cucumbers went off the list of assigned chores. But the tomato pickers passed by the bed and found a few. Then Carla went back and found yet another great cucumber that all of us had missed. “You” can hide but eventually “you” will be found!
As it turned out, it was all Hancock volunteers this morning. As we worked together, catching up with some after a summer away, I was reminded about this whole other aspect of the garden—how pleasant it is to work alongside someone and shoot the breeze.