It is a little sad. My garden is starting to look a little “long in the tooth.” There are still a few more things which will ripen, but everything has slowed down. I still have hope for my watermelons, and it is fun to watch the pumpkins turn orange. Other than that, I’m thinking it won’t be long until it is time to pull everything up and make the garden look tidy before winter sets in.
I also think it is time for old Mr. Potato Head to call it quits. It has been great fun to write this column every week and even more fun to meet and talk to so many of you about your gardens. As summer ends, our thoughts will turn to the next season. And that, my friends, does not include gardening. But before I go, I would like to leave you with three thoughts: garlic, composting and planning.
Garlic: I have a gardening friend that is amazed that I don’t grow my own garlic. There aren’t many vegetables that need to be planted in the fall, but garlic is one of them. Being a bulb, garlic likes a chilling period to develop. Poke a few cloves in the ground in the fall, and come spring, you can start heating up the olive oil. The only challenge is being patient. I’m going to do it.
Composting: I’m going to really ratchet up my compost operation this fall. Leaves and other lawn and garden cleanup material are perfect for composting. All of those dead plants, sweet-corn cobs and leaves are going to get composted. It is a good idea to keep the compost pile a little damp and turn your compost material at least once a week with a garden fork to speed its decay. Chopping and shredding materials to make them smaller before adding to the pile helps compost break down faster. If you can add a little manure it will also speed things along. As the temperatures drop this fall, the composting action will diminish. You may want to cover the compost pile to retain heat. This fall’s compost pile probably will not be ready first thing next spring, but will be a great addition to your soils as the season progresses.
Planning: This is the 23rd “Mr. Potato Head” article; the first and the last are about planning. It is time to remember what worked and what didn’t. What did you over- or under-plant? Which varieties do you like or don’t like? I’m going to make some changes. Before you know it, those pretty seed catalogs will start arriving. Soon after that the snow will start to melt. Next thing you know, we’ll be out there digging around again! A little planning now will prepare you to improve your garden next year.
Enjoy the end of the gardening season. I’m grateful for the fun and wonderment of growing a garden and happy we could share through this column.
Mr. Potato Head is Stearns County Master Gardener and Kimball resident Rick Ellis.
September sadness
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