The calendar has flipped to September and the signs are around. The summer veggies are slowing down due to a mix of shorter days, cooler
Mixed Veggies waiting for their brine
nights and the inevitable powderly mildew and such on the cucumber and summer squash. The sows bellies are starting to reach for the ground as they get closer to their due dates — piglets are due September 15th (ish) and 21st (ish). Onions are curing in the barn. The school bus is again providing a time check as it passes. And the boxes of full canning jars are outnumbering the empty ones.
And yesterday, Liva found the first signs of late blight on our tomatoes.
It seemed inevitable with confirmed reports from growers and home gardeners around the state and the cool, humid weather of the past week. Fortunately, last week’s harvest of 522 lbs of tomatoes are already canned and another big load came out of the hoop houses yesterday and are on deck to become canned tomatoes, tomato puree and other yummy delights. But do enjoy these tomatoes while we have them, it is hard to know how fast it will spread in our tomatoes, but this wet weather isn’t helping. The good news is that we can feel great about when we will get greens into the hoop houses for the fall. There will be less competition between the tomatoes and the fall greens. And we get to celebrate the joys the next season will bring us.
Liva & Mary and a large load of tomatoes