Last year I barely had any growth on a newly planted raspberry bed. Yes, moved some again. This year, they really took off and are just starting to really produce.
I grow two fall bearing varieties, ruby and autumn bliss. These plants are remnants of my half acre of raspberries from more years ago than I will admit to. Moved here, gifted there, moved back and forth between my sister, in the field, to the driveway garden, to the perennial garden. So many moves and so many berries!
The only real problem I have with growing berries are the picnic beetles that also love them. When they are ripening, they need picking at least every other day to get them at the peak. What I really love about the culture of ‘fall bearing’ types is that all the canes get cut back every year. They grow and produce on a new cane every year, then it’s done. Cut it back.
Summer bearing types produce on a cane that is 2 years old. The first year is just vegetive growth for them. For those, you cut out the cane that produced and leave the ones that didn’t for next year. The advantage of having some of both types is a longer picking season.
In the flower garden, the sedums are gorgeous this time of year and are covered in bees and butterflies. They are definitely a fall plant for your pollinators.
On the wild side – solidago a.k.a. goldenrod is also loaded with pollen for the insects. Lots of that growing on the shoreline as well as other 6-foot weeds I can’t get too. You simply can’t win all the plant/weed battles!
This week I installed several potted Asiatic lilies into the garden and moved a few things around – the weather is perfect! Mid-September, planning to dig up several large salvias and replanting without dividing on a hillside. I have about 30 of these big guys that collapse outward, which I don’t appreciate in the garden, but it won’t matter on the hillside. Right plant, right place.
Today I plan to prune back the new growth on the tomato plants. Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow as long as the conditions are right. But we know tomatoes take time to develop and ripen, and we are running out. By pruning back a bit of the new growth, the plant can concentrate its resources on ripening the fruits that are already on the plant. This is not the same as (unnecessarily) pruning out entire branches during the active growing season, just a light bowl haircut.
So far, I see no obvious signs of any foliar diseases on my tomatoes which is amazing. Prepare for that unexpected frost ahead of time and get some items for plant coverings in place. Old bed sheets, tablecloths etc. will help. Nothing too heavy that would crush the plants. If it’s not possible to cover pumpkins or squash, then just fold the vines back over onto themselves to protect the fruits. Frost on the pumpkin is not good! Any spot that frost accumulates on will rot first.
Two years in a row, a snapping turtle has laid its eggs next to a basil plant in the garden, both in the same place. And two years in a row, the babies have gotten a helping hand to the lake. Just by chance the hatching was spotted. The garden bed where the eggs are laid is a raised area. If no help was given, their first experience would be falling 2 feet onto a limestone walkway as they make their way to the lake.
Thirteen were seen this year, and over twenty from the same spot last year.
Normally, the racoons or others dig up the majority of the turtle eggs shortly after they eggs are laid. I have to say, since I quit feeding the birds a few years ago, I have a lot less unwanted critters around.
Two to three weeks to the big garden decline. It seems regardless of the weather, the plants really start to decline around mid-September, last year was a little later. Less sun with less intensity, cooler nights and days… less TLC from the gardener. Of course, an early frost ends it whenever that happens. I love the fall, but once again… summer went too fast.
The outdoor Mankato Farmers’ Market is open 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is located at the Best Buy parking lot on Adams Street in Mankato. Stop by and see me every Saturday at ‘Market Bakery’ for all your fresh baked goods! The Bakery is only there six more weeks, so stock up for winter! We have nearly 50 vendors with a wide variety of goods and food items, produce, honey, flowers, plants, eggs and local meat!