Following its August apex, the season continues to decelerate, trailing with it a number of pluses and a few minuses. On the plus side, who would have thought we’d see such clement weather given a Farmer’s Almanac average first frost date of September 18 in Quebec? We certainly won’t complain, nor will a number of vegetables in our fields. It’s their chance to grow under optimal conditions, with more than enough water as an added bonus. As for our green manure crops, they will just grow taller, greener and stronger.
However, the opportunist in me laments that they are also forecasting a longish frost-free period. Frost is not usually a good thing, but for a market farmer feeling a bit overwhelmed by weeds, it’s nature’s Roundup, a potent weed antidote that does a pretty amazing job of eliminating plants that one would rather do without. It usually takes several frosts to complete the task, but a first jolt around this time of year is always welcome on the end-of-season weed management front.
The Dance of the Winter Squash continues in your baskets, and a pleasant addition we think (and we hope you’ll agree) is the presence of ground cherries, a funny fruit indeed. This year we decided to grow them in one of our high tunnels, protected from the rain and other unpleasant weather conditions which used to contribute to their earlier demise when we grew them in the open field.
On that closing note, we look forward to seeing you all again.
