Vegetables In The Time Of Goldenrod

The goldenrod is here. The clock is ticking ever closer to the end. It is only six weeks now until our average first frost date. There is no time left to waste.



I wasn't planning to waste any time.

The plan was to have an extensive fall garden with a second sowing of vegetables starting at the first of August. The plan failed. The fall garden is a bust. Rain has been sparse to none for the last month, slowing germination. Then more than half of what did manage to germinate was promptly et up before it ever got past the sprout stage. Them bugs just loves their sprouts. I desperately need some floating row covers to protect my sprouts.



I sowed all kinds of things and what I got was some carrots, a couple of turnips, three spinach, a handful of radishes, a dash of cucumbers and just maybe a half dozen parsnips. Without rain and lackadaisical watering they pout. Not a single solitary lettuce of any vareiety survived the ravenous bugs. They were there one day and gone the next. I blame the grasshoppers. I'm sure the rolly pollies helped.

Tomorrow I will try again. There should still be enough time for cool season salad greens in the time of the goldenrod. There is even mention of rain in the diagnosis.



I can't complain too much. We have more tomatoes than we can eat. The raccoon let me have four ears of corn. The pole beans are finally beaning. I have a whole row of potatoes waiting to be dug. The produce department at the store has been completely ignored since May.

Even with reduced yields from the sunflower hogs, no meal has been left without fresh produce from the roadside vegetable garden.



Besides there is plenty to distract me from a fall vegetable garden that is largely a bust.



I will compost a mountain of horse dung to add to the soil in the vegetable garden and dream of next year's sunflowerless garden producing mountains of produce, so much produce we will become regular faces at the soup kitchen.

I'll have all winter to dream, beginning in about six weeks.