whats done is done…
Well, we had a good run, drought and all. At it’s height our garden was prolific and the picture of what I had hoped it would be. We were showered with tomatoes, peppers, herbs, fruits of all kinds and before it got too hot, colorful tasty lettuces. Our fickle friend Irene directed her wrath elsewhere, while here on Delmarva a half heartedtrouncing crushed the garden and shook every apple off our trees.
No matter, some of those apples were up pretty high. We gathered boxes of those along with bundles of sticks (to start wood stove fires with in winter.) When life gives you hurricanes- make apple sauce!
note to self for next year
Early on when the peach and apple trees were
loaded with buds, then tiny fruit, did I say to
myself, “ Hmmm, I wonder if I should cull
this tree?” The answer, which I did not do is
“Yes!” Even though you are dazzled by all
that potential fruit growing ever more plump,
you must pull it off at this point, or it will
snap the branches off your tree, like a sinking
boat with one person too many. Hurricanes and drought further bully our over fruited trees, and I’m sad to say a few suffered very bad trims by Mother Nature.
tidying up- (post storm or season)
*Dip your pruning tool in a mixture of 10 percent denatured alcohol and water when cutting off diseased branches to ensure you don’t spread the diseases. Prune areas parallel and 6 inches from the growing branches to provide a smooth cut. Avoid leaving any stubs. Don’t apply any type of sealant, the tree will do its best to form scar tissue to protect the wound. A sealant tends to trap moisture inviting rot and fungus infection. NOTE: the main pruning of trees should be done in deep winter.
* Pick up any diseased or rotting fruit off the ground. Rotting fruit will not only attract wildlife and insects, but it can also infect the tree with fungi spores. Treat the fruit tree with a fungicide if the tree has been infested with a fungus.
* Clear and clip any broken or dead plants out of your garden. You may get a few more weeks out of the plant. Don’t put diseased plants into your compost.
Almost done tomato plants with green tomatoes may be cut at the base stem and hung upside down-& your maters will still ripen. Some gardeners wipe down their tomato cages with a 50/50 bleach water mix before stowing for the winter. I applaud that, but that is simply time I don’t have. Next year I may use all bamboo fences, they took on the wind far better .
*Harvest the individual leaves of tarragon, rosemary, basil, sage and other culinary herbs and dry them indoors. Herb leaves are most intensely flavored right before the plant blooms. Snip foliage in the morning after the dew has dried. To dry herbs for storage, tie the cut stems together and hang them upside down in a dry location.
Cover with a paper bag to avoid losing the shattered leaves. Store dried herbs in glass jars away from light and heat. Fresh basil can also be frozen in plastic containers. Finely chop basil and cover with olive oil. Freeze in ice cube tray, pop out and stow in freezer bags.
*Plant winter greens asap if you haven’t gotten to it. With our mild weather, you can have them through December.
