Magic of Gardening

TAKING IT ALL IN

A SUCCESSFUL HARVEST

BY BETHANY O’REAR

Days are growing shorter, and forecasts have nighttime temperatures starting to dip into the low 40s. Harvest time is just around the corner. Now is the time to prepare so that your crops can enjoy the longest growing season possible without making you scramble when frost is inevitable. Take a few easy steps in the next few weeks and take that stress off so you can enjoy your garden.

The first step is to prioritize. Determine what HAS to be harvested prior to frost and what can be left in the garden with little or no protection for several more weeks. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplant have to be gathered before true frost sets in. Tender herbs like basil, cilantro, and dill will blacken at the hint of freeze and even sturdy flowers for drying – coneflower, lavender and yarrow – are best cut before cold nights.

Many fall crops will tolerate, or even benefit from, some cold-temperature nights. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kale and spinach will march through a cold snap, though they might need a little protection from a covering of straw or frost cloth when the thermometer dips to 28 or below. Marjoram, parsley and sage will soldier on just fine.

Since first frost dates are unreliable, I get ready by having a cardboard box and newspaper ready to wrap bright, unblemished green tomatoes and place them in a dark, cool space to store through Thanksgiving. Check every few days and remove ripening fruit to the windowsill and discard fruits showing signs of rot. A glut of cucumbers can easily be preserved as refrigerator pickles that will last up to a month without the hassle of canning equipment. Keep clean jars and brining ingredients on hand so you can spring into action. Any remaining radishes should be pulled and put to use in salads. There are many suggested methods to preserve sweet and hot peppers, but freezing is my technique of choice. Start with clean, dry fruit, with seed removed. Cut peppers into desired size. Then, spread pieces onto a sheet pan and freeze. Once frozen, insert pieces into a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to help prevent freezer burn. Frozen peppers will make a delicious addition to many fall and winter dishes. Tender herbs can be preserved in so many different ways: frozen in ice cubes, dried in the microwave or used as the base for vinegar dressings. Flowers you’ve collected for drying can be hung in a dry attic or basement; silica gel kits are also widely available at craft stores and online.

With a plan and equipment standing by, that inevitable first true frost won’t take you by surprise. After taking care of the tender plants, you now have more leisure to harvest the balance of your garden. Make sure your meal planning incorporates regular contributions of broccoli, cauliflower, kale and spinach. All of these plants can be picked “in part” by taking outer leaves or florets while the plant continues to grow. Beets, carrots and parsnips can be harvested a few weeks after frost. Do not mistake the sweet potato as being a winter root vegetable. After the vines have been killed by frost (or very soon thereafter), make sure to lift any remaining potatoes to a dry and cool curing area. Winter squash, of course, are made for long storage with their protective coatings. Still, remove from the garden when ripe and store in a dry cool area nonetheless as squash left outside are still vulnerable to pests and hungry wildlife.

Kale

Piedmont Native Azalea

And while you were scurrying around, filling your larder for winter, I hope you were thinking of next year. All those heirloom or open-pollinated plants offer seed for saving. Flower seed like zinnia can be saved for next year simply by keeping flower heads dry. Dill and cilantro (coriander in seed form) are also simple to store. Tomatoes take a multistep process but make for a nice project after frost. But let’s not waste time on saving pumpkin seeds – we all know they’re best roasted with salt, butter and a nod to Thanksgiving.

As we are talking about gathering the fruits of your labor, it is also a great time to gather your thoughts related to any tree and shrub additions that you have contemplated for your landscape. As October fades and we proceed into November, the ideal planting time for many of our favorite ornamental plants is just beginning. Installing a new bottlebrush buckeye, native azalea or oakleaf hydrangea (just to name a few) is most suited for the late fall and winter, giving our beloved plants time for their roots to make themselves at home in their new environment without the added stresses of producing new branches and blooms. Happy roots equal happy plants, ready to put on a show next spring.

Whether your focus is on the ornamental side or edibles are truly your passion, this time of year is ripe with possibilities. So, go out, enjoy and happy gardening!

Zinnia

Oakleaf Hydrangea