Hello again from Eight Gate Farm. After a blissfully mild start to Autumn, the weather turned sharply colder this past week. Temperatures were slated to dip down into the teens (F) at night. At that temperature, the upper layer of the soil quickly freezes. So that means harvest what you can while you can.
The leeks especially would be impossible to harvest in frozen soil, so we took all remaining (about 30). Considering we've been taking a few for quite some time, this was a great crop this year.
 |
| Carentan leeks |
The Swiss chard, while it will survive light frosts, will not thrive at all, so we stripped the plants, leaving a growing tip just in case it decides to warm up again.
There was a small amount of pak choi, enough for a meal. This was the 3rd planting this year, and it got too late a start. Maybe just two next year.
 |
| Brisk Green pak choi |
I had a horseradish plant growing in its own pot in the herb garden. I'd more or less ignored it for several years, but this year it really grew well. I dug it up, and found the main root had grown out the bottom of the pot and into the soil below.
Another casualty of the frost would be the raspberries, so here was the final picking of this bountiful crop.
So that looks to be it for 2017! I want to thank all readers of this blog, and a special thank-you to Dave of
Our Happy Acres for hosting Harvest Monday for all of us to enjoy.
Your final pickings look great - loving the horseradish, which I do want to try at some point.
ReplyDeleteI was out there last week doing all my final pickings as well - it feels great to have the garden all cleaned up after a trying year and be dreaming about the possibilities for next season.
Thanks, Margaret. I can't say we're all cleaned up, but we are certainly dreaming about next season!
DeleteThat is a nice final roundup from the garden, especially the raspberries. Keep warm and enjoy your break from the garden. I will continue to dig on...
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle. You will be digging soil, but soon I fear I will be digging snow!
DeleteGood looking leeks! That's something I've never had luck with. My horseradish looked gnarly but it was potent, and I bet yours is too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. Surprisingly leeks have been a trouble-free crop. I can't wait to try our horseradish in our own Bloody Mary mix--and maybe a roast beef too!
DeleteFresh horseradish is such a treat! The plant is a real thug though so I am not surprised yours headed down out of the pot. We grow ours on the grass verge where it can romp away as much as it likes: tough digging though to get a root or two
ReplyDelete