Garden Update V - Frosty

Greenhouse 2 went under construction mid August.  Husband, #2, and #3 did an awesome job once again!

We put the plastic on and started adding manure.  This winter both greenhouses will be testing the slope of the roof and the strength of the plastic.  Greenhouse 1 wasn't plasticked until this spring.  This may allow me an early crop of lettuce, swiss chard, and spinach, if the plastic holds.

We got our first dose of frost on September 6th, which is better than most years.  We covered the beans for the first week or so, but the cooler temperatures slowed production significantly.  The last picking yielded only one bucket from the 6 rows.  Not worth the extra work covering and uncovering daily at that rate.

I picked three buckets of seed green beans from the end of the row plants that I had stopped picking earlier in the season.  I still have the greenhouse seeds to pick as well.  I'm pretty sure it'll be more seed than I originally put in the ground. 

Meanwhile, the turkeys have been growing like crazy, eaten every bit of grass and greenery from their pen except the raspberry bushes, and watching me like little hawks in the garden.

I cut the dividing fence and set them free.  They were overjoyed.

Broccoli and cauliflower were quickly their favourite eats.  Both had survived the frost just fine, but I had nearly all the broccoli picked off already, and quickly cut those that remained.  The cauliflower never produced.  Possibly too hot and dry this summer.  We'll try again next year.

And then we started pulling this wonderful harvest of beets.  Our best year yet!  3 1/2 buckets from two rows, with another 3 rows to pull.  Awesome!


There are still carrots, onions, and potatoes to harvest as well.  Tomatoes are ripening in the greenhouse.  Brussel sprouts are coming along.  I'm holding off on picking the peppers still.  There are several peppers on each plant, but they're still quite small.  One greenhouse cauliflower formed a head, and most of the broccoli has been picked.  Herbs need to be picked and dried.


The frost killed the pumpkin and squash plants.  Some of the pumpkins froze, and went mushy, so immediately went to chicken feed.  The rest were brought in the house, but as they go mushy they're going out to the chickens as well.  I don't think there will be any for human consumption this year.  Dissapointing with those huge plants that were taking over the greenhouse.  I had better pumpkins from the smaller plants last year.