Corn Stalks

Now is the time to eat and freeze all that corn. But when you have finished with the corn, take the stalks out of the garden, it will prevent any corn bugs from burrowing in the ground and spoiling next year's plants. You can do at least 3 things with the stalks, give them to cows, horses or pigs is one idea. Second you can gather them in a pile, tie them and use them for a fall decoration, or third, you can take them to the dump, but please do not compost them. I like to use mine for decorations in my yard. Remember where you planted them this year and do not plant next year's crop in the same place. I know milk cow farmers do, but they also treat the soil for the bugs, I don't, as I farm organically. This year I planted Vision F1 from Johnny"s Seeds and everyone I shared corn with loved it!

Tomato Bonanza

Big, round and red (or orange or yellow) and juicy. They are now ready for harvest. Do you can them, freeze them (that is after you've eaten all your mouth can take)? Some people swear that freezing them is the way to go. However, I believe canning is the way to go. They retain their sweetness longer and taste as though they've come straight from the vine. If I freeze them for more than a month they seem to develop a tart taste to them. Canning certainly takes more effort, but come November, when the only tomatoes that you'll be able to get are ones from the store, you'll appreciate the sweetness of your canned tomatoes just that much more. Canned tomatoes make a much better spaghetti sauce in my opinion than commercially canned tomatoes.

After harvest, when cleaning the refuse from your garden, pull the plants, bag them and remove them from your area. Do not compost them as they have probably got disease on them and will ruin the compost.

Reaping time rethinking

Now is the time, while you are bringing in your harvest, to think about next year some. You now know what you have liked, what was too little harvest, and what you didn't like so much, so write down your thoughts! It will help when you have to order or buy your seeds for next year. I, for one, like to try at least one new veggie a year. Also you have to decide from what you saw in your garden, what grows best and what just barely grows. Every year is different as the conditions change from year to year, but some things just don't do well in the northern climate. Some of these items might be helped by starting them in the house to give them added growing time, however that is alot of work and fuss you might not want to try. I love seeing things green when there is still frost outside, but it is work you have to love. Buying plants is much easier, but that too can be risky if they aren't properly cared for. Just know that each year you garden, things get better and better, as you find out how and when to start your garden.

Fall cleaning

As crops mature and leave the garden, pull all the weeds that are left, bag them and dispose of them. At this time of the year they will have alot of weed seeds and shouldn't make it back into the garden. Some plants will remain until frost, and might need to be weeded again. This is a hot and dry time of the year, you may want to look at the soil, and if it is dry (stick your finger in the soil and see if it's more than an inch dried out) water it. Corn is still growing and loves this weather. Enjoy