One of the peppers I grew this year were Tabasco Peppers, and I never picked any of them. I've been using my Thai Dragon Peppers to cook with. Earlier this week I cut down my entire Tabasco plant, loaded with fruit, and hung it upside down in a nice sunny spot to dry them. I still have another plant in the ground that is loaded with flowers and small fruits. I'm hoping I can coax along another harvest. I should have plenty of these nice dried Tabasco peppers for winter cooking...
Right after Labor Day I removed all of the Tomato plants from my main raised bed, and prepared the soil for Fall Crops, which consisted of nothing more than just turning it over and removing all remaining tomato plant debris. I let the bed rest for a couple weeks and on Monday of this week I seeded in rows of two varieties of Arugula, an Italian Arugula (Renee's Garden) and a Wild Rocket (Franchi), some Purple Top White Globe Turnips (Burpee), French Breakfast Radishes (Botanical Interests), Mache Corn Salad (Botanical Interests), and some Baby Pak Choi Green Fortune (Renee's Garden)...
By today, just about every row has germinated. We've had perfect weather for starting seeds... warm and humid with nights in the high 60's. Couldn't ask for better conditions to get the Fall garden off to a great start. Here is a close up of the tiny Arugula sproutlings...
For me, one of the best things about the last weeks of the season is enjoying the Herb Garden. Everything seems to gain an intensity of fragrance and flavor, and maybe that is simply because we know these are the last of the season's fresh herbs. In another month it will be nothing but dried herbs till Spring! I've still got plenty of Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and more Lemon Grass than I know what to do with. I have got to remember to dig up a couple of the Lemon Grass plants and bring them inside this year. They are tender perennials that do not survive the Pennsylvania winter.
One last photo. I have been posting occasionally about the amazing Strawberry season I had this year, and the story continues. Here it is a week from October and I am still finding beautiful fruit on a daily basis!
Hope you all enjoy every minute of the gorgeous Fall weather ahead. I am looking forward to some road trips into northern Pennsylvania and upstate New York to see the spectacular foliage and hunt down some late season farmer's markets.
6 comments:
How lovely to still have strawberries. Mine finished ages ago.
Nice peppers!
I have come from your flickr photos and I am loving your blog. I have never attempted to grow anything, but I think I might have to try, at least next season (Pennsylvanian here too).
Jo... I am thankful for them every day! Simple gifts from the garden.
Stephanie.... Indeed! And I hope they will be nice and fiery.
Mroosa... Welcome and thanks! I hope you will give it a try next year. Anything I can do to help with advice, just let me know.
Chris, I am about to clean out my garden from the summer. I see you planted your fall crops a little over a week ago, I am in the DC region. You may be a bit farther south. Is it too late for fall crops to be planted?
cc-
I am in the Philly area... north of you. Not too late at all! If you sow some seeds this week, you will have greens until a hard frost.
Good luck!
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