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  #1  
Old 11/05/04, 06:44 PM
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Anxiously awaiting frost?

I'm honestly beginning to think I'm not a gardener at heart. It's 11/5 and my garden is still going--kind of. I'm ready to clean up the summer, cozy up to seed catalogues, sort my saved seeds and dream but I can't bear to kill off the few straggling (healthy) plants still fruiting in pockets of my garden which means I can't tidy up anything--does that make any sense? I live in a tricky weather area (DC suburb) where 9/20 is the 1st killing freeze or sometime after Thanksgiving; this year it's probably the latter but who knows? Pondering the fate of those miserable "hangers on" (tomatoes, figs, etc. and even volunteer bean plants that haven't a hope!) which aren't ripening but not dying is frustrating. I want a firm frost date so I can plan!

Anyone else griping or is it just me? With no frost, I haven't picked my pumpkins or blue hubbard but will be starting figlets this weekend; have a spot in the basement picked out for them. I'll be sad and glad to see the green gone but how I wish I knew when it would happen. Rats! I have basil to dry, freeze or pesto up. Sheesh! I need a deadline...

katy *incoherently rambling...*
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  #2  
Old 11/05/04, 06:52 PM
PITA
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
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The lawns are still green here. I have basil trying to grow, but I pulled the tomatoes up several weeks ago because a bunny was living in them. Mind you, I planted the tomatoes in my specially designed bunny proofed raised bed.



However, we got a near-freeze last night and I keep accidentally disturbing frogs of various sorts trying to hunker down for the winter. One had set up camp beneath a cinder block I'd set down a week ago and was preparing to move into the greenhouse. So I ended up having to bury the poor frog in mulch and artfully arranging broken bricks around and above him so he/she can get their winter snooze --- or whatever they're doing. Never knew frogs actually *hibernate*.

More important, however, is the issue of the plant room. The plant room is my former bedroom which I decided to turn into a plant room because it was so full of plants I brought in last year, it was almost impossible to even walk through. I was determined to have the plant room done by now --- floors fixed, walls painted, little plant winter homes set up. Needless to say, I am now in a panic trying to set it up so it doesn't look totally insane.

IOW, winter and the first freeze really is almost here.
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  #3  
Old 11/05/04, 06:56 PM
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My tomatoes are still putting along... And to think, a month ago I ran around picking all of the green tomatoes because it was supposed to freeze.
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  #4  
Old 11/06/04, 11:11 AM
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
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I think you got your wish last night. Froze here in SWVA , killed everything.
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  #5  
Old 11/06/04, 06:10 PM
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Nope. Spitting distance from DC, things got chilled but not frosted. Even my mother 6 miles outside the Beltway still has basil!

katy
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  #6  
Old 11/07/04, 04:44 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Ripley Co. Mo
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Here in Southern MO it has come a small frost the past 2 mornings.

I am kinda upset because I had flowers coming up that had not come up this summer. Volunteer sunflowers were already up too.

The pastures are really getting green. They had about died because of the drought. Now they are back and looking good. Won't be for long though if the frost keeps hitting.

My tomatoes have been gone a long time. There is one at a rental that still has tomatoes on it. I have been thinking about picking them as the kids that live there are not interested in them. The lady before them had planted it.
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  #7  
Old 11/07/04, 05:03 PM
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southern Maryland
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Tuesday night is supposed to be a frost here, but Monday will come close. We live in a wierd micro-climate and the weather forecasts are often way off, but we covered the lettuce today just in case. We started pulling up the fall beans yesterday, and I think I will pull up the rest tomorrow even though they are flowering bravely. Our figs on the north side are hardened off nicely but on the south side they still have green leaves and branches. We leave them out over winter, so I better get wrapping - I know thy are good to about 10 degrees, but I want them to do well not just survive! lol
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  #8  
Old 11/09/04, 09:45 PM
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Well, Mom's basil bit the dust last night. I picked her green tomatoes and found a recipe to fry some--interesting flavor but not my fav. I cleaned up 3 beds yesterday including picking squash and all but the immature Queensland pumpkins I covered with a drop cloth; still no frost but tonight is supposed to be colder. I don't care! I made the jump; the lingering green is in the compost pile!

Between painting my house (stucco portion) Wednesday and Thursday, I'll find time to pot up tomato suckers and/or harvest pepper and basil plants I pulled out. Yeah! Summer's finally over here. Now if I could get a load of woodchips to fill my paths and perennial beds I'd be set for winter; I have 3 bathrooms in various states of imperfection to finish off...and much, much more...

katy

PS Those of you with figs in MD...hmmmm...I have some, too. Wanna trade twigs?
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  #9  
Old 11/10/04, 07:07 AM
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: ontario
Posts: 561
Well its cold here! Lots of frost,even snow now an then. I'm waiting for the ground to freeze so I can get a bulldozer in to cut down my over grown feild of tag alder and willow. You know what though, I still have swiss chard growing, tough stuff!
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  #10  
Old 11/10/04, 09:21 AM
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,275
I have a feeling your figs are a lot bigger than ours, but if they make it through this winter with twigs to spare I would love to trade. We have 4 and only 2 have produced fruit so far.
I haven't been out yet this morning, but Monday night's frost got the pepper plants and the beans I didn't pull up yet. The lettuce is covered and looked good. Last night was colder though - it is only 46 degrees in the house right now. brrr.
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