Produced by
Patti Moreno
Contributor to:
Square Foot Gardening Tips: September
It’s September, the beginning of the skies turning all sorts of miraculous colors. And as I marvel at the sky and its colors, I look down at my own abundant harvest and wonder what I will do with so much good stuff!
Today, Mel and I are going to talk about ways to put it all up.
Although, it’s September, you have many more months to go through the season and some ways that I store my fruits and vegetables are: Freezing, Drying, Canning
The thing about freezing is it uses a lot of energy. On the other hand, drying, allows you to preserve your food without using a lot of energy. You can just leave slices of tomatoes or apples in the sun and they will naturally dry or use a dehydrator. (Visit www.gardengirltv.com to learn more about more formal dehydration methods)
If you want to freeze your items, we suggest that you label them with what is inside the package and the date that you out it in. Remember, it’s always more energy-efficient to have your freezer full instead of empty.
The last method of storing vegetables is in the ground. Root crops, like Carrots, can actually be stored underground. You can take in the ones that you harvest, but if you have too many to store, believe it or not, you can leave them where they are…bury them underneath soil with mulch. They will be just fine. There are some root crops that can’t survive for a long time like that, but just so you know-- carrots potatoes and onions do this very well!
In September you must also be aware that this is when your garden starts to look a little shabby. The leaves are yellow and a majority of the fruit and vegetables have been harvested. We suggest that you take this time to neaten up your garden. Pay attention to the weeds and the dead leaves. They are not helping your plants at all and they don’t look very good.
The good thing about cleaning out the garden is that even the trimmings won’t go to waste. You can use them for compost. You can also turn it all into your raised bed. Patti puts her chicken tractor on the bed and lets chickens do the work!
Stay tuned for next month when we talk more about Composting.
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