It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Harvest Time
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It's definitely that time of year, the time where I have more things to harvest and preserve than I have hours in the day. I love the transition from summer into fall. It's still deliciously warm, but there are signs of maturity everywhere. Well, maybe not so many signs of human maturity, but at least plant maturity manifestations are not in short supply.
Tomorrow will be the first day in eighteen days that I get to stay home. I don't even know if I will know what to do with myself! I mean, I guess I do know, I have a podcast to record and several pounds of tomatoes and zucchini relish to can, but I digress, this is a celebration post about being home and absorbing the sights of the advancing calendar on the farm.
I love the delicate, pointy fronds of aster flowers, especially these ones because I started them from seed that I got from the library. We had a bunch of left over flower seeds up at the brare' last year, and I took a packet of the aster seed home. I am so glad I did, look at these beauties!
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Zinnias are also in full bloom everywhere. I'm really fond of the California Giant zinnias that I ordered this year. They exploded everywhere I plunked them and actually did get the two feet tall that was advertised.
And don't even get me started on the pumpkins. Some of the kids I know call me the Pumpkin Lady, because every year I grow and give away a lot of pumpkins to local heathens. Heck, I give away a lot of pumpkins to grown-up heathens too. There is just something cool about pumpkins, they always put a smile on my face when I see them.
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Honestly, this year I didn't grow as many as I usually do, but I still have a healthy amount, especially of the Amish pie pumpkins. I love the perfectly round and plump little squashlets!
My Connecticut Field pumpkins are fairly massive this year too. We are going to have fun carving those beasts into frightful scenes and roasting a bunch of the seeds for a tasty fall snack.
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I'm still pulling for my competition pumpkin. Our cold, wet early summer did not help that plant get off to a very promising start. I mean our high was 49 degrees Fahrenheit on July first. However, the long term forecast for the rest of the month is looking promising, so we will see if my pumpkin regatta dreams come to fruition or if I have to wait yet another year.
All in all, this evening's stroll soothed my weary, overworked soul, for I have been dreaming of this day since last month. The day that marks my return to a more sane and at home on the farm schedule. This Kat has more purr right now than a cat cafe in Tokyo!
I totally stink at growing pumpkins, even though I love trying. This was my fourth year teaching myself how to grow pumpkin from seed, and I managed to get my biggest vine ever (10 feet or so). Grew in a deep grow bag with a rich compost soil, and let the vine climb up and over a trellis. Had 2 or more blossoms opening every day for 2 or 3 months. Big leaves and no pest problems. Not a single female flower. Same problem last year.
Today, the vine and my tomatoes look ravaged. Smoke from forest fires are decreasing the air quality this week, while fast winds are tearing apart even tall trees. Maybe they will recover for a few more weeks of regrowth.
Decided I'm going to give up on the Sugar Pumpkin variety, and try something else next year. Perhaps try growing in a decomposed straw bale for next year too.
Love that it brings you so much joy to garden and share with others. Thank you for sharing.
Hmm, your pumpkin troubles are intriguing! I love a good garden mystery:)
Even though I covered my garden, I lost most of it to a hard freeze night before last when the cold front that brought that horrible fire-stoking windstorm with it came through. I am sad, but honestly this kind of thing happens quite often around here, and I have a ton of pumpkins so I can't complain. I hope your plants aren't too ravaged, this year has been quite something growing season-wise. Well, actually about everything-wise lol!
I have had a ton of good pumpkin luck with Amish pie and Connecticut Field pumpkins, have you only ever tried Sugar? Can you tell I am dying of curiosity about your lack of pumpkin plight?
And it's comments like yours that make Hive so great, thank you so, so much for stopping by:)
Yeah, I have only grown Sugar pumpkin.
The thing about Pumpkins that is hard for new gardeners is that the seed descriptions usually describe the fruit as being ornamental, large, good for carving, or ideal for pies. Yet, I think many pumpkins probably have a combination of these traits, but are most known for being large, for instance.
So I have always grown Sugar pumpkin, thinking it was the only one ideal for pie, and an easier size to deal with. I know there are more varieties good for cooking with, but the only way to know is from people who have grown them and can make recommendations.
Cherokee Tan pumpkin is one I have learned about online that is ideal for cooking, and seems to have very hardy, almost weedlike nature, hard to fail with. Thinking about giving that one a go next year if I can get a hold of the rare seeds.
Where do you purchase your seeds from? They do not carry Amish Pie or Connecticut Field in local stores where I live. Jack-O-Lantern has also been recommended to me as an easy, reliable one to grow for pies, and those are stocked everywhere.
I am so sorry I am so slow in replying, this week has been a bit, er, intense lol!
When it comes to my seed procurement, I order most of them online. Pinetree seeds, Trueleaf market, Baker Creek heirloom seeds, and Johnny's Seeds have all been utilized by moi. We have a challenging microclimate and short growing season here in North Idaho so I am always on the lookout for a variety that can take the heat, cold, and all out intensity in my realm.
Cherokee Tan sounds super intriguing, I hope you can get ahold of some of them, I would love to read about your experiences with growing them:)
I have grown Jack-O-Lantern too, they are super hardy and easy to grow. I could honestly go on for days about pumpkins because they are something I have had a ton of luck with, but I have to go open the library now, and I promise I won't take five days to reply to you this time:)
I didn't grow pumpkins this year, but I have 3 growing in my compost. They are all small and green so I doubt they will color up.
Ah yes, the compost pumpkins! Those happen from time to time here too, lol! Hopefully it’ll stay warm for awhile and yours will mature for ya!😊
Ooh, I like your pumpkins! 😀
I have a few pumpkins this year, but nothing very big.
Thank you!!!
Small pumpkins are the ones I always use in cooking and baking, but I am not going to lie, I love the massive ones lol!
I've never been able to grow the really big ones, they just don't seem to get that big. Generally they get basketball size. Perhaps I need to look for different types of pumpkin seeds to get the really large ones.
Yes! I have some Connecticut Field pumpkins that are easily 50lbs. You could also procure some Neptune's Harvest Fish and Kelp emulsion and a lot of composted horse and/or cow manure. Those two things help immensely. That and plenty of water. I apply the emulsion every two weeks during the growing season and my pumpkins get LARGE!