In my previous post I mentioned having covered the garden Monday night because the forecast temperatures were approaching freezing. I left the tarps and blankets in place Tuesday night as well, but the low was only 38 degrees.
Wednesday morning when I uncovered the plants, I was disappointed to discover the pickling cucumber plants had been thoroughly frostbitten, despite the covering. Cucumber season was dreadfully short this year!
The slicing cucumber plants didn't fare any better. Yet the adjacent winter squash plants, which were under the same covering, are just fine. Cucumbers must be extra-touchy!
The very tops of some of the tomato plants got nipped, but not enough to cause real damage. The tomatoes themselves are just fine. (And still green, mostly.)
Today I pulled up some of the carrots, scrubbed them, and put them into the fridge. These have great flavor.
I also dug one short row of potatoes. I couldn't find the garden tool I wanted, and am quite sure I left a few spuds behind. I asked my husband to go out and see if he could find more. He doesn't have much energy to spare, but I think he can pull this off.
It's sad to see the garden winding down, yet I will be happy when all the produce is stored away in one form or another, and the garden has been put to bed. It was a lot of work, and when I consider how high the water bills were for July and August, it makes the Farmers' Market look more and more attractive for next year!