For the sweet potatoes, I wish the days and nights were warmer, but for myself, I absolutely LOVE this weather. Today was just about perfect, and I got lots of weeding done. A member came out and dug carrots and beets for you. They have been sprayed with the hose, soaked, and then sloshed to wash off soil, but not scrubbed. And they are good!
The damp weather continues to take its toll on plants. Both the broccoli and the summer squash are showing signs of mildew. I picked lots of gourmet teeny squash for you. Won’t fill the tummy but sure do tantalize the taste buds. They can be marinated in teriyaki or vinaigrette or Italian dressing and grilled. Yummm.
The cabbage looper moths are out in force laying eggs in the kale, cabbage, broccoli, etc. I need to make time to spray the bacterial insecticide so you don’t get unwanted added protein. But other things also take precedence. Every day delayed making fall plantings of lettuce, chard, arugula, spinach, etc can result in a 4 to 7 day delay in maturity. At this time I try to plant twice a week, sometimes even three times a week. I am seriously considering next year asking members for some volunteer time. Please give me feedback on this. I am thinking maybe 2 hours in an evening or coming a couple hours early before distribution to help wash. Although I enjoy meeting with you and find it helpful to see what and how much you want of things, sometimes that four hours could be perfect for planting so that we had a steady supply. Volunteers to guide other members through the distribution might be another volunteer opportunity so I could get that done. Those who want to put in garden time would be welcome, but the harvest, wash, count and divide, etc are just as valuable to me. I don’t want to make it mandatory, because some folks have babies, elder care, or health or job issues that really would make it a challenge. This is one of those things that I will include when I get into SurveyMonkey and start asking you questions.
The first planting of beans is about shot. Those who want can pick Friday, then I will plow them in. The next planting looks a couple of weeks away, but should be plentiful. The new plantings of cilantro and dill are just about perfect. The older dill is heading out, so you have your choice – leaves or heads.
Hope you enjoy the weather as much as I am. Have a good day!
