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Finishing off the 2021 gardening season

Pixabay

 

   This program ran back in September 2021.

Looks like we made it through the 2021 gardening season with only limited issues. I've pretty much picked all my tomatoes and the squash is also winding down.

Fruit size was small this year as heat in early summer impacted final fruit size. Winter squash is getting mature. Fruits are mature if you can't scratch them with your thumbnail. Harvest and cure them in a warm area after they are picked. And don't store them below 45 degrees. I intend to harvest mine sometime mid to late month. Onions are also maturing so be sure to let those tops fall over and then the skins as they dry out can be picked and stored for the winter.

Watch the weather for any frost events that might occur in September. You may want to cover some of those cold-sensitive plants or pick ripening fruit before they get chilled. If temperatures drop into the low 40s or high 30s, you're going to have problems with color development and fruit development, and things like tomatoes and peppers. We still have many good weeks of weather this fall, so be careful and watch out for that cold injury and how it might affect your tender vegetables.

It's also time to get ready to start planting garlic later in September or early October. Get your garden prepared for that area. Also, you sow fall spinach, lettuce, and radishes, and other leafy greens and many of these will mature if we put a row cover or some type of frost blanket over the top of them.

Finally, start cleaning up the garden. You're going to have areas that you want to plant early next spring. And so, if we get those started, that's a good time to do that.