The Post-mortem (aka Requiem for a Garden 2: Electric Boogaloo)

We had the first frost a few weeks ago (somewhere around 10/15) and the first killing frost last night (11/5) ah, corresponds to Guy Fawkes Night. That's easy to remember then "Remember, remember the fifth of November". I think its actually earlier this year than normal considering I never rake my leaves until after Thanksgiving, not Halloween. The anti-climate change people love this, and the lack of hurricanes, but one year does not global cooling make.

Anyway, this is really for me to remember for next year. Well, considering no one really reads this but me, its all for me to remember. I usually plant around Easter, and I guess harvest should be around Halloween. Funny how it works out that way, why is the pagan calendar so accurate? Hmmm, I have no idea. ;)

Funny thing, the tomatoes and peppers are still flowering and setting fruit, but they are so stunted. I'm sure this probably changed all that. I'll check tonight.

On with the pics:


The Main Garden right before I pulled the carrots. Not as lush as it was since the sunflowers went to seed, but its still impressive for the first year I did this on this scale.



The sun has set for these sunflowers. They were tasty but small, but that sure didn't stop the birds. The Mason bees LOVED these guys, that's why they will be replanted and why I bought the mason bee nest. They went to seed around mid September.



The stunted tomatoes. I'll just plow these back under or compost the fruits. These plants were really tenacious.



The corn that wasn't. Sooo close. Well at least I got some actual ears, and I know what to do next year.



The empty potato bins. Worked very well, we'll see those again.



The disappointing Ye Olde Pumpkin Patch. Hmmm. Next year, its war with the Slug Sappers.



The Front Garden. I didn't expect anything here really, but the tomatoes actually grew. From the amount of clover that grew here I think it needed some nitrogen. As as a matter of fact the tomatoes started really working after I fertilized. There may still be issues with not enough sun, but at least I know something CAN grow there.



The rain barrels ready for the winter. I had a REAL problem with mosquitoes here even though the holes are all screened. I assume the larvae got in though the downspout. I have no idea how they got out, but they did.(maybe thru the outlet hose) The last barrel (the one on the left) was FULL of swimming larvae when I decided to dump the three to prevent an actual health hazard. I'm going to have to seal them all off from the environment next year, so that the only way in or out is through the main hole to the downspout which I have already double netted. Also, I need a pump to get some more pressure for them. I'm researching submergeable pumps, and power supplies for it. I may actually have to get those solar panels.



The mason bee apartment. No residents yet, but I assume that they all found other accommodations for the winter. I have so many in the yard, I'm sure I'll have some come spring.



The implement of destruction. The Black and Decker CMM1200. Yes, I know, no panels. Nice if I actually walked the walk huh? Its a great mower, takes small passes though, so I need to walk a little more. Not like I'm on my feet all day or anything.



The compost bin. Its insane, I just keep putting veg in and it drops into a black hole. I have yet to have it be full for more than a few days, and its been up since march. I have worms in it too, which must have hitch hiked in as eggs on garden waste. Works for me. They get upset when I tumble it, but for the most part they are warm and happy with PLENTY to eat.



In the bin. That's grass clippings not the worms, and I think those are apples that went bad. I may have to move the bin into the sun for the winter, but that bad boy is heavy. We'll see if I need to. A frozen mass of compost is no fun.

That's it on The Post-mortem. More on the future expanded garden soon. And maybe some more product reviews (since they are the most popular read on this blog) if the Littlest Giant and the Higher Mind of New England let me get some time.

Yes I know, its October

And I haven't made a post since July. I know, I have been a bad giant. The Littlest Giant, now a whopping 20lbs. has taken up all of my spare time. Also my prostration to the Higher Mind of New England has taken what was left. Since it is the end of the season, I'll run down a rapid-fire update, with pictures (which are huge, I will make smaller ones when I get a second)!

Sadly, I have not gotten any pumpkins this year out of Ye Olde Pumpkin Patch. I think the main problem was that I did not fertilize the patch early enough. By July they still had not grown very far out of the patch, once I did fertilize, they went insane with growth, but a new enemy reared its head: Slug Sappers. I pretty much took care of the Bambi Brigade, and the Squirrel Squadron wasn't bad at all (took 2 cornstalks but that was about it) but the slugs were just insane. I even found one in my dining room! Anyway, the explosive growth that came about due to the organic fertilizer was basically like ringing the dinner bell for the slugs. The pumpkin vines were just eaten to the stems from these little sinister slimy assailants. So no pumpkins. I have purchased some slug repellent for next year, we'll see how it does.

Similarly, the corn stalks and bell peppers didn't make it either. I assumed the bells wouldn't make it as I only planted them in the Front Garden (which did eventually get tomatoes), that only had English Ivy in it before. The corn, which had grown super fast, basically stopped in mid July. It was a combination of dry weather and lack of fertilizer. A few dried ears (which I have pics of) then they just wilted away. I fertilized in mid August, and everything that was left went INSANE!!! I had to cut back the tomatoes, and the Jalapeno and 'Chinese Chilies' grew through the deer fence. Its a thing of beauty.

What have I learned?

• Fertilize when you prepare the ground.
• Fertilize at least a month later, then do it again. (so that's at least 3 times)
  
• Don't let the corn dry out, ever.

Ok, now on with the photos!


Carrots! It seems that you need to leave them in the ground for a while and THEN they get big. ;) As you can see, they are as big as my hand, and I have some pretty large meat-hooks. There are still a bunch in the ground that I will take out occasionally until the first frost. They are very sweet tasting. This was taken 2 days ago.


These potatoes were harvested from the potato bins in the back of Ye Olde Pumpkin Patch. I think they did fairly well. They aren't huge by any means, but they tasted very good. I harvested around the first week of August. The plants had yellowed and fallen over by then, so I didn't think I was going to get any new tubers out of it.



Here are mashed potatoes that I made. Very tasty, the skins left a sweetness to them. Wish I had more. :)


Ahh, tomatoes. Now these worked with no problem! Started getting tomatoes around the 1st of august and have been getting them ever since. I'm not a fan of raw ones so I can't tell you how those tasted, but cooked into spaghetti sauce they are great! You can taste the freshness. I know its a cliche, but you can.

Sauce made with the tomatoes, the chunks are turkey meat, tomato chunks, and chilies. :) Good stuff, The Wife loves it!


Chilies, chilies and more chilies! Good friends of mine identified what I refer to as 'Chinese Chillies' (this top photo) since I got them from my mother in law. I know they aren't Chinese, in fact, they are Mexican. I just can't remember the name. Serrano maybe? If anyone knows, please educate me. There are a slew of pics of them. BTW Spicy!!!! and I like spicy chilies, and these are really are. I have yet to see a red one on the plant, drying though, they turn orange-red.

Jalapeno from the top down. This plant is still producing red and green ones. Very hot, not really spicy though. NOTE: don't test the Scoville rating by popping one of these guys in your mouth fresh off the vine. Thought I was gonna choke to death.


Chinese Chili plant, this pic was before I fertilized, the plant is poking though all the holes now. More chilies than I know what to do with. I'm going to harvest and tie them together an dry them in a batch.


More of them, that plant is sooo small compared to what it is now.



The one ear of corn that I managed to get. It was already dried like that on the stalk and was the only ear on that stalk. More fertilizer and water.

Here's one of the sunflowers that I eventually brought into work. These guys were crazy! Even without fertilizer they grew to at least 8-9 feet. The Bees, and the birds LOVED THEM!! The heads are all empty and brown now. The seeds were very good, but too small to be worth harvesting. Next year, I plan to plant these again, but as a natural fence. I will also plant the yellow, single head variety which has better seeds.

That's it for the sofar update. I have other pics that I will add to this as well. The requiem will be next. Also my Mason Bee nest, the new mower, and the plans for next season.