Fed up with the garden

[goeduck]

On Saturday we picked the final peas, Apples, zucchinis.
Lost about half the late harvest apples to birds and wasps, harvested about 100 lbs of good apples.
We harvested the remaining pears on the 7th, about 80 pounds.
Between wildlife and mother nature, you just never know what the bounty of the garden will be.
But overall it was a good season for the gardens. Lots of work, but I need something to do and enjoy.
We no longer can as the freeze dryer gives better quality results. Taste is better and storage is longer term.

Are you storing in your old canning jars or using mylar bags? I have been on the fence on getting a freeze dryer, but the modern ones sure look enticing.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Yesterday I pulled the electric fence, brush-hogged the garden, tilled everything under and planted winter rye. I'm done with the garden for 2023. Not a bad year. Bumper crop of winter squash and pumpkins and sun flowers, (and weeds). Ok year for peas, zuchini, cukes and yellow squash. Not so good year for onions and tomatoes, Aug was too wet, with 8"+ of rain, the wettest on record.

How does the winter rye work as a cover crop? Never used it, so would like to know.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Are you storing in your old canning jars or using mylar bags? I have been on the fence on getting a freeze dryer, but the modern ones sure look enticing.

We mainly use mylar bags, the canning equipment was sold after we realized the food flavor with freeze drying was as good as fresh. It really is amazing the difference between canned and freeze dried flavor.
If you go the freeze dry route it needs to be set up away from your sleeping area as the vacuum pump runs for hours. A typical batch takes 18 to 24 hours to complete.

I made an acoustic dampener out of 2x2 cedar frame and rockwool board and it works good enough to not have the sound bother us. Vacuum pump is also on a vibration dampener pad.
There is a youtube channel named "retired at forty" that has the best info of what you can a shouldn't do with the freeze dryer.
The cost of freeze dryers has actually gone down about 25% since we started about 4 years ago.
We do use cannning jars for a minor part of our storage.

 

[JJT]

How does the winter rye work as a cover crop? Never used it, so would like to know.

Old timers call winter rye green manure. It serves two purposes for me, the deer feed on it and I'll till it under in the spring. You cannot add too much organics to my heavy clay. It survives the first few frosts and will be knee high by Thanksgiving.

 

[goeduck]

My zucchini played out early this year and I didn't get as many as I had hoped. So I planted some very late. I've been covering them at night took this pic yesterday. Just experimenting to see how late they will go

I meant to ask, what are you using to cover your plants in the last picture?

Here are my winter squash from this year. I still have a few potatoes to dig up, but everything else is in. Hubbard, Sweet Meat, Spaghetti, Butternut and Buttercup.

 

[Jstpssng]

I meant to ask, what are you using to cover your plants in the last picture?

Here are my winter squash from this year. I still have a few potatoes to dig up, but everything else is in. Hubbard, Sweet Meat, Spaghetti, Butternut and Buttercup.
View attachment 829197

Nice crop. Our neighbors used to raise Blue Hubbard every year, often getting several 20+ lb fruits. I don't remember what they used them for, it was just the two of them but she probably cooked and froze it.

 

[masseyrider]

Glad to see many of you had good results.
Mine as stated earlier in this thread were less than ideal.
However the ever optimistic gardner/former farmer in me is already planning for bigger and better things in the future

 

[Jstpssng]

I finally turned my garden under today. Then I was going through my box of seeds and found a packet of tillage radishes which should have been planted 2 months ago; also some winter wheat I had wanted to try. Those are in the ground now, although I don't expect stellar results from either.

One project for this winter is to rebuild my old Dearborn harrow... every time that I use it I break a bearing so will be replacing all of them.

 

[Yander]

@goeduck What are the big white squash? Haven't seen those.

I use these window wells that I bought a bunch of a couple years ago.

I bought a whole mess of them for $200 because I wanted to use them for raised bed planters. But they are good for other things.

 

[CalG]

Dug the beets up today, now the only seasonal things left in the garden are fall peas, kale, and storage radishes. (Strawberries were divided and a new bed made last week. )

Winter rye has been going on as each garden patch is cleared out. The true value of winter rye is keeping ROOTS going and growing in the soil. All sorts of good things happen (Read :"Entangled Life" by Sheldrake for additional perspective) All it takes to plant is to hand broadcast the seed, and a brief work over with a garden rake. That stuff really does want to grow. The expected rain showers tomorrow certainly won't hurt. We have cut back on how heavy to seed. It appears that if the individual plants are even two inches apart, the goodness still prevails. But I'm always incorporating compost and shredded leaves into the garden soil. I mulch thick and often as well. It has been hard to keep up with the appetites of these asian jumping worms this year. Those creatures reduce organic material to castings in short order. I'm not sure if it's good or bad. They work up (loosen) the soil as well, and that allows the rain to soak right in. Time will tell.

I may have mentioned that the garlic was put in a couple of weeks ago. It's forecast to freeze here Wed. I'll put a cover mulch on them right after that. I want the ground cooled off before covering however.