After a week of 80-degree weather, we dropped down to lows of 36 F! Boy, were we worried it would frost. When you have 5 acres in gardens, there’s no covering anything, so we just prayed like crazy. In the mornings it was cold, but nothing frosted. Just two miles away from us, it was white on the ground! That’s close.
As we’ve had such a crazy growing year, everything is late. Tomatoes, corn, peppers, beans — everything. As I had to replant the corn, we’re sweating it to make mature seed by frost. Usually, we don’t get a killing frost until about the first week of October. I don’t know about this year though…
It stopped raining and Will started cutting hay again. He made two rounds of a field, and the bearing went out of the haybine. We called around and nobody local had the right one. His haying friend had a few but they were the wrong size. We ordered a few online and via phone, hoping one might get here in a day or two. There’s always something.
I picked more tomatoes and will be seeding them this afternoon. I’ll also be canning up more tomato sauce or salsa. I haven’t made up my mind which yet.
Our potato vines are starting to die down and the onions are starting to tip over. It won’t be long before we get them harvested now. Both look like they’ll make a good show.
This year, I bought a few gladiolus bulbs and planted them in the tomato rows. They’re flowering now and sure look gorgeous.
–Jackie
Well, it sounds like everyone has strange weather this summer! We had almost no rain this summer in the mountains of SE Idaho. At 5000 feet plus we usually get some rain coming through and generally a cooler summer then the lowlands. A lot lightening storms rolled through though. No fires were started around here from them. My garden wasn’t this year. I had plants ready to be planted and I was told I have three slipped discs in my back, spinal stenosis and not to pick up anything over twenty pounds for now, and that may drop lower. The knee replacement is on hold, as is my stomach surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. I’m going to be 66 soon and I’m falling apart!
It irritates me to no end to not do things! Yes, I hurt but I still do things. I couldn’t get my garden in with all of this going on. Plus husband is getting worse health wise. I made a decision to not garden this year, its really awful, but I can’t have my back go completely out. I probably won’t have one next year depending on when they decide on surgery. I’m pushing to do it, so I can take care of hubby in wheelchair, house and grow a few plants in pots next year. We’ve got three ladies that the VA pays to help with him and the house, go to doctors with my husband and get him to physical therapy. He’s a mostly wheelchair bound Army veteran left with multiple problems after serving. They are great but their hours are limited. A friend of ours son has a heavy duty tiller and was going to run it through the big backyard we have here. Maybe next year. I have gotten two raised beds and soil to put in them . Enough for lettuce, tomatoes and few other things in sequence for next year. Following year back to a bigger garden plot. Like everyone else the weather has been weird. Hotter than usual, almost no rain, but lots of lightening storms with fires touched off elsewhere in the state. Normally our nights are in the 50s at their warmest and in the thirties at their coolest. Not this year. Highs in the upper 90s and nights dropping to low 60s with high humidity. I thought I was back in Texas! Weather finally broke with rain, cooling things down quite a bit. The two almanacs say we are going to cold and very snowy winter. So I need to get firewood bought. I’ve generally go get stuff people are giving away or go get down branches and trees. Not this year. There’s always more stuff to do here and one of the big things is prepping for winter. I’m looking forward to winter I love the snow and enjoy watching it come down on our town area and the mountains. I’m getting a snow blower this year. The shoveling has got to stop. I wish I was close to you Jackie, I could help seed all of your tomatoes. Probably most of us would be happy to help. But we’re scattered around the country. I’m glad Will can fix most things himself. The repair costs would be running y’all to the ground otherwise. You take care and great reading your blog!
It sounds like you’ve had a challenging year! Here’s wishing you a much better next year. I know what you mean about all the body parts failing you as you get older. I had a bunch of challenges before even getting old; I broke my back, tailbone, ribs and hips in a horse wreck at 17, fell off the storage barn’s roof and compressed 2 vertebrae, dislocated my shoulder twice. Now I’ve got the two knees replaced along with the heart valve this year. Ugh! We just do what we can do, for heaven’s sake.
I thank God I can keep doing what I want. Mostly. Today, it was canning up salsa from the leftover tomatoes from seeding yesterday, which I roasted with onion, garlic and peppers.
Tis time to figure out how to work smarter not harder. Reminds me of Satchel Paige (if memory serves) – if we pitched as hard as we did when we weren’t in trouble as we did when we were in trouble, we wouldn’t be in trouble in the first place.
Face it – some states are far better at providing help than others – even when it comes to the VA. My aunt’s ex would not be alive if not for the VA in our area. I can’t say the same if he was in another state. I’m rather tired of a party who claims to support veterans yet does not walk the walk. And hasn’t for years. My Dad does not have fond memories of the care his grandfather got from the VA. IMHO – the PTB want nothing to do with those that need help, regardless of the situation.
Both my late husband, Bob, and Will have had great care through the VA. Both, Vietnam vets. However, Bob suffered from Agent Orange and was denied coverage for years. The DAV stepped in and finally got him help, after 4 years and he’d quit fighting.
Agent Orange – the denial went on far, far too long. Not just for the vets but it also caused some health issues in their kids. The large town near me has a memorial wall honoring those who lost their battle to Agent Orange.
Happy Labor Day to all.
It is definitely weird weather! We have had 100+ temps for over 10 days here is southern middle Tennessee. We were having rain every week until then. Now, although it is still dry, we are having highs in the 70’s & now 80’s forecasted for next week. The lows are in the 50- 60 range and the Sycamore trees are already turning beautiful colors. The farms here stagger their crops to have corn, etc., all the way until frost to eat and to sell. But the next two crop harvests are going to be poor due to the dryness we have had. I have been canning like crazy so I could probably feed out whole county if necessary. I am enjoying the cool dry days while still hoping for more rain. Earlier in the year we went from bitter cold to hot in 2 weeks’ time. We didn’t actually have a spring. Odd weather, indeed! It is best to be prepared for a bitter cold winter and if it is not a bad one, well that is even better. The crickets are already sounding different in the evening; and my dad told me one time, that when it starts to cool off that they get arthritis like us and can’t saw their legs fast like they do in warm weather. Ha, ha. Well, you just never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us. Also, Jackie, I LOVE your pictures. I love your homestead. Take care and enjoy each day for how it is.
Our weather’s been insane, to say the least. It’s kind of evened out but we just escaped two nights of frost. That scared us pretty bad. Will’s hoping his bearing for the haybine comes today as it’s supposed to be sunny for several days and he’s behind in haying something fierce.
We had one night here in Copper Basin Alaska that was half a degree above freezing. Next week is supposed to be cloudy so it shouldn’t freeze but if it clears I will be watching. I have everything I planted in hoop houses or the green house so I can protect plants hoping to make up for the late start caused by having to dig horsetail and fireweed risomes out of all the beds because the summer of 2024 found me unable to do much and family did what they could but there are only so many hours in the day. Hope you guys get a crop with the world as crazy as it is !
I’m glad you’ve got everything covered! That makes things so much easier, weather-wise. We’ve avoided a freeze, just barely, so far. But I feel like I’m holding my breath every day, looking at the weather forecast, which they seem to change hourly.
We’re going to have a good crop of most everything but the corn. It got drowned out twice, and sure looks terrible as a whole.
What you are saying about being uncertain of the harvest……. This is why we put food aside when we can! We have had crazy weather in TX as well. Yesterday was a gorgeous 88. Tomorrow…….. 98. Sigh. It has been a cooler than normal summer here (only about 5 triple digit days, I see you sweating! :) ). We are to be having lows in the upper 60’s here this next week (early for us). We also have had rain in August! Unheard of. I saw geese flying overhead the other day…… praying it was the local flock that stays here year around. Love seeing/hearing the geese, but fear that if they are migrating this early (remember, TX) that we better go cut some more wood! Weird weather all over. I email a person from Nigeria (Africa). There weather has also been a bit abnormal.
Yep, Will’s out there, right now, cutting firewood logs to bring in to process. While he’s waiting for his bearing for the haybine, he figured he’d better make good use of the “spare” time he found himself with.
I’m starting harvesting in earnest. Today and tomorrow, I want to pull the onions as pretty soon I’ll be so busy I will meet myself, coming and going.
This has been the year for weird weather, hot and then rain and big-time cool down then hot again for just a couple days at a time. I think I can count 90 degree weather on just over 1 hand.
Yes, me too! And, remember, this is Northern Minnesota. The temperatures have been up and down in big swings. One day it was 80 degrees, the next night, it was 36!
Definitely cooler here in Southern Wi-onions harvested and bagged. 2 rows of potatoes dug-good yield. Weather topsy turvey -each year is different. 30 more round bales of hay done. Fall is coming -? fast. The pumpkins are turning orange. If you want more wild turkeys I have far too many here. Harvest is on. Some days I don’t know where to start or end.
Great! Box up those turkeys and send them on up. Ha ha! Our pumpkins are also turning orange. Our harvest is starting to go nuts. I’m seeding tomatoes every day and making tomato recipes out of the leftover pieces. The onions and potatoes will soon follow. It didn’t help that I accidently ran over part of a row of onions with the riding lawn mower, trying to knock down the pigweed. The onions are alright, but I should get out and pull those, at least.
I am old and cold. Here in eastern Ohio went from 80s to now 60s with breeze and gusts often from north. Too cold for me to sit on porch. I am thankful for shelter but prefer to sit outdoors .
It seems like already October!
Have prayed that all harvests worldwide can be accomplished or there will be hunger for sure
Secure your water supply. If you have a well you may need backup parts for the pump. Think ahead. Try to have gallons of water in the house too.
We not only have backup parts for our two wells but another spare pump, just in case. We always have 600 gallons in the house all the time so I don’t think that will be a problem.
It’s cool here. I’m seeding out tomatoes on the front porch and the high yesterday was 64 degrees F. Yep, my hands got plenty cold, but it needs to be done.
Wow!36! Been 100+ here 80 lows. Harvested some dry red corn this morning. Very early. Small crop due to extreme weather conditions. Luckily last year crop was heavy so hopefully won’t run out.Beautiful flowers especially the gladiolus. Tough haying seems if it’s not weather it’s equipment issues. The life of the farmers. Finally finished pickling and peaches yesterday. HOT. Tomato s are slow this year and very light- except the cherry tomatoes.. hope no early frost gets you 🙏
Thanks Mary! I hope so too. Our tomatoes are slow and less than normal this year, as is our corn. It sure shows you why we need to can up all we are able, when we have an abundance. One never knows what next year will bring.
We are still waiting with bated breath for the haybine bearing.
Thanks for the pic of the flower bed. One of my earliest memories is of a flower bed that was a riot of color. I still love seeing beds of mixed colors and shapes.
I’ll try to pop a few more in coming blogs for you. : )
I agree on how crazy the weather has been this year. I have nothing except a gut feeling that we might have an early frost. Crops are looking like mid-September since the first of August. We’ve had so much rain that tomatoes are rotting instead of ripening. I planted 4 rows of carrots and harvested 17 carrots. Lettuces bolted due to the extremely how weather. Bug and weed pressure is the worst recall seeing and I’ve been gardening since 1962.
If the amount of moisture we’ve received continues as snow, I’ll probably be snowed in until next May or maybe June!
I’ve been inventorying my pantry and other supplies and have started a re-stock which I usually don’t do until October. Part of that is sometimes the stores are out of what I need so it takes several months (I only shop once a month) to get find everything, but the main issue is I “feel” the need to do so now. Not a panic “feeling” just a push to do it now.
Corn and soybean crops are looking very good in my area. Since they planted early this year I would assume harvest will also be earlier than typical. It has been drier lately which should allow heavy machinery to get into the fields.
I have that feeling too. We’re not scared but just feel like the ant in the ant and grasshopper story, socking away all we can. Just in case. Having too much is fine; we share. But having not enough really is awful. Been there/done that. And it wasn’t fun, let me tell you. That’s why I’m so careful today.
Our stores are out of many things. Walmart is re-doing their stores with big, wide aisles. And they don’t carry a lot of things they used to. I guess they figure wide aisles will fool customers?
Wide aisles as they’ll start using robotic equipment where they can. The few times I patronize Walmart (my store of last resort), the employees who are gathering pick-up orders take up a lot of aisle space.
I’ve read that Walmart is building some stores strictly for delivery orders – call them dark stores. You and I can’t go in there in shop – who’d have thought. https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/why-walmart-opening-dark-stores-080100578.html
So it isn’t just me thinking the weeds are on overdrive this year. It has been cool here lately (slowing down the weeds). I hope to make a dent in the one perennial bed this 3 day weekend. The other perennial bed has some weeds but I was well ahead in that bed before the heat and rain hit.
Yeah, we pulled our onions yesterday as the weeds were waist high. To even find them I had to run the riding lawn mower over the rows with the blade high. Despite this, we still got five crates of onions. We were very happy with that.
Last weekend a soybean field not far from me is dying off. I know all the corn and “beans” are GMO but this is really early for either to start showing signs of not far in the future harvest.
Temps here have been cooler and the remaining cuke plant and tomato plants are not kicking out the harvest like they were. Okay by me – I was able to share tomatoes and cukes with workers from a company we hired. Only one wanted cukes so he scored big time lol. No wise person turns down food these days.
That’s sure a fact. Our crops are just coming in decently. I’m busy every day now, seeding out tomatoes and making various recipes from them. Today I also did sweet peppers, so I’ll make roasted salsa out of these tomatoes, peppers and some onions from the garden.
Some of our dry beans are finishing up and it’s kind of early but they look great. I’m so excited to have so many Crawfords, our favorite snap bean. Such great flavor!!