Well, this is it for the season. Time for picking the last of the vegetables and pulling plants before the first frost. I'm truly glad it's over. It was not a good season for me or my plants. It could have been the extreme heat or the Lyme Disease I picked up from a deer tick on one of the hikes I took my grandsons on.
I will have to say that we were impressed with the Swiss Chard I grew, for the first time. I think I could start it next year indoors as it was small, but very tender. The carrots were an after thought as I had space and didn't want to waste it. Very small, but delicious. Only two Sweet Hungarian Peppers off the one plant I bought for a taste test. Won't bother next year. Alot of cherry tomatoes at the end of the season, but not many during the summer. My Better Boy Tomatoes didn't set many tomatoes, too hot. Jalapeno Peppers did well and provided many jars of jam. I tried Strawberry, Nectarine, Peach, and Cherry Jalapeno Jam. Great on crackers and as a relish with meat. I also had a great harvest from my North Star Cherry this year. Maybe the fruit tree fertilizer I put down this spring.
This was the first batch of compost from my new composter. I kept thinking I shouldn't have wasted my money, but when I turned it out it wasn't too bad. Much harder to use this than a regular compost pile. You don't have the worms and other organisms to help brake it down.
Will be thinking of new ideas for growing more vegetables next year. My bean pole worked, but I didn't put enough effort into the garden. Cucumbers seem to be a lost cause in my yard. I think I need a fence and a soaker hose to make things easier. Things to think about over the long cold winter!
