Since we are predicted to have a frost tomorrow, we have been processing produce. Wife is pressure canning vegetable soup, and I am chopping bunching onions for drying. Basil was dried this morning and now grinding cabbage for sauerkraut is going on. I cleared the peppers out of two greenhouses yesterday as the outside temps are in the upper 30s to low 40s F. and peppers are much more sensitive than tomatoes to cold. We will set fires in the woodstove for the next couple of days, but if it stays cold, we will pull everything remaining out and let the cold take over. Our newest greenhouse is still in operation as it has automated electric heat. I does get expensive to keep it going long-term, and the light is decreasing dramatically, so that on too will be cleared if the cold continues. Our attached greenhouse will be kept above freezing all winter, but we only keep herbs and such for fresh use in there. My wife's flowers that she overwinters are kept at a north-facing window in the heated garage. If it actually freezes on Thursday night, the remainder of the cabbage, the root crops and potatoes, and the pumpkins and winter squash will also come in. After everything is harvested and processed, we get a break until the holidays, beginning with Halloween.
I harvested nice bunch of silver beet out of our garden yesterday , I added the cooked SB to the cooked beef casserole when beef was tender … with a little bit of cream . Served Mashed spuds with it … I’ve bought a few of the spud ( potato growing bags ) to try my luck with growing a few @Don Alaska the spuds have started growing nicely in the 2 I’ve planted so far
Looks good, @Kate Ellery. We started using buckets this year rather than the bags as it gets easier as we age. Next year we may grown most of our potatoes in buckets, as we can start them inside and move them out, and they are WAY easier to harvest than digging, even with a tractor. We usually call silverbeet Swiss chard, and we haven't grown it for years, but I do have seeds for it, so maybe next year. Have you tried preserving your silverbeet in any way? I think you can ferment it, and I know you can ferment collards but they are a completely different animal from sauerkraut with cabbage.
Chard has different coloured stalks to silver beet in Aust at least it has @Don Alaska SB has got green stalks And SB grows quite a bit bigger leaves if we can call it that https://www.mrfothergills.com.au/silver-beet-fordhook-giant.html
You know I love learning about the differences between plants/ veggies between us @Don Alaska https://sustainablemacleod.org.au/s...s-chard-rainbow-chard-what-is-the-difference/
The bags are dirt cheap Don , I got 2 on eBay 10 gallon size and 3 from TMEU ..the latter $6.00 each are far better quality than ebay and cheaper ebay $9 I was given the seed potatoes so that’s what prompted me to get the bags
A lot of people here also use the bags. I wonder how easy they are to move. A bunch of gardening shops closed after Covid, and I could have gotten them really cheap, but, alas, I didn't.
Nor do I, but we don't have many pests here since they have to survive the winter and ground that is frozen sometimes up to 10 feet deep or more.
We call the Fordhook giant a chard as well. Chard can have beautiful stalks, and I believe many of the colored/coloured varieties were bred in Australia.
How do you put up peppers? Interesting that you face the indoor plants to the north. I put mine in a big, south facing window. I have none to the north.
We usually freeze the peppers, although I do pickle some, use them to make a sweet-hot mustard, and I make cowboy candy relish. As far as the plants she overwinters, I think she wants them in a semi-dormant state. These are the geraniums (Pelargoniums) and begonias mostly. Herbs and other stuff we put into our attached greenhouse which faces south.
Finally our garden is beginning to dwindle some. Our small chest like freezer is full of okra,corn,tomatoes,zucchini,and carrots. The red onions we have just about used up, So great this garden took off on our first attempt. The rain that they seldom get here helped also. The mustard greens finally pooped out. Seems everyday, I am washing,cutting and freezing veggies.