Sometime over the last few days, the Jerusalem artichoke have started to produce pretty yellow flowers. That’s interesting. Without all this warm, way-past-normal- frost-date weather, what would they have done? They did go in a little late… And why do they look so…familiar? A couple of minutes online and it’s apparent that flowering is optional, largely dependant on location and conditions. And, no wonder, they—Helianthus tuberosus, aka sunchoke, sunroot, topinambour—are close relatives of the majestic sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Small world…
Autumn
Winter squash
The Friday harvest finally included winter squash, and a tiny little harvest it was. These guys were on their own when it came to water, we just didn’t have time and gear to irrigate—given a bit of a rain break, they’ve tended to make out. Unfortunately, the timing of this year’s drought caught the plants later on in the season, late July into August, as they tried to fill out. Bottom line: super low yield and small squash this year, drip irrigation a must…next year. In any case, we did get enough for two rounds of CSA. Typically, the acorn squash came through best (Table Ace, Table Gold, Cream of the Crop), the butternut (Early Butternut) are…minuscule. Delicata was a first this year, I’m not sure how large they are usually, but likely bigger than this. And so on. Even the usually prolific and reliable, bright orange Uchiki Kuri, a Hubbard-type (Japanese Kabocha), didn’t do so well. Only the Sweet Mama buttercup came through with some decent dry weather size! So, off to the farmers’ market with an assorted 50 or so, none for sale, all for the CSA shares!
Autumn harvest action!
A steady harvest through a warm, hazy afternoon wound up quite early, with just about everything sorted, rinsed and bunched or bagged by around 8:30 pm. Smooth! The end-of-season crew has settled down to Jo, Lynn, Conall and me. Here, Jo and Lynn are harvesting a sparsely germinated but bountiful spinach patch (the second growth leaves are HUGE, fleshy, tasty and tender), while Conall cuts all-lettuce mesclun on the Greens Machine. When not snapping pics, I’m bunching kale in the last stand of brassicas. Filling in between the veggies, lush expanses of oats. In front of Lynn, a sprinkler from the last days of irrigation. The large clear leaf bags are used once for greens harvest, then saved for collecting mulch, or at least, trash. All is in order… It flashed through my mind how over the course of a few short weeks, everyone who came regularly to work in the field started with, in most cases, no experience, and casually transformed into a cheerful, efficient crew. Tiny farming must come naturally!
Making mulch
Yet another experiment: making mulch from some of the hay that grows alongside the garden. The hay, originally alfalfa and red clover, is dying out, and what’s left is mainly grass and alfalfa, currently around 10″ (25cm) high. I cut it with the riding mower, which instead of scattering the clippings, leaves a convenient tiny windrow. A couple of days drying in this year’s hot October sun, and it should be good to go. I tried thoroughly dried grass clippings as mulch a couple of years ago on a few tomato plants, and it worked out well, so on to a larger scale. This crop will be used on the garlic, to be planted in a month or so. The mower is sadly in need of new blades, so the cut is rough, but it should work out fine.
Brussels sprouts
A pleasant fall surprise, at least one of two beds of Brussels sprouts (planted over five months ago) has come through! A bed each of Oliver and Jade Cross (hybrids both) received no water and looked mighty stressed and strained for all of the droughtish summer. The recent rains brought ’em back—well, mainly the Oliver, although the JC has some smallish…sprouts. A tiny harvest, still, the first Brussels sprouts for this market garden!
More tiny eggplant
Unlike the super-early tiny eggplant at the other end of this season, these guys have come to the party a little late. Warm, frost-free autumn weather means crops like eggplant and peppers put on a new bloom and even start to form fruit… Unfortunately, they’re doomed. Even if the warm conditions continue for another month (and THAT seems like as not), the short, weak-light days aren’t gonna give up the energy they need to get in harvestable range. Oh well, they still look pretty…
Spicy greens
Although we haven’t had frost and the weather’s been overall incredibly mild, it’s still the fall cool season crops that’re doing best. Here, a mix of spicy brassicas, grown entirely in the post-flea beetle season—no row cover and no holes! There’s arugula, mizuna, tatsoi (a kind of bok choi), and red mustard. It’s a zesty, peppy salad on its own, or mix with lettuce. The leaves are a little past the baby greens stage—they’re growing so fast—so just tear ’em up! (That’s what I say at the farmers’ market… :) Oh, and while the weeds have slowed down dramatically, they’re still around: can you spot the mallow?