From the Gardens Registrar: Water is Off at Eagle Heights for Repairs; Winter Squash; September Garden Tasks; Garlic Seminar Reminder

 Hello Gardeners,

EAGLE HEIGHTS WATER IS OFF – We have two leaks in the water system at EH, and the water is turned off until repairs can be made. We need some parts and one of the repairs will be tricky – we hope the water can be back on by the weekend, but it might not be possible. We’ll do our best.

HARVESTING WINTER SQUASH – Gardeners are starting to harvest their winter squash now. It’s still early – you don’t really have to pick it until frost threatens, so we’ve probably got another three weeks or more. And if you pick it early, it won’t keep as long as if it’s fully mature. On the other hand, we have a fair amount of theft in our gardens, so harvesting it a little early might help to insure that you get some of it. Also, we do have some deer in the gardens, and they apparently love to eat winter squash and pumpkins.

 Your squash is ready to pick once it’s turned a darker color than it was earlier, it sounds hollow when you shake it, and the stem has died off and turned hard. Here’s a website with very detailed instructions on harvesting, curing and storing: https://www.growveg.com/guides/curing-pumpkins-and-winter-squash/

 And by the way, if you’re looking for new ideas for cooking winter squash, here are some recipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1097/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/squash/winsOME ter-squash/

SEPTEMBER GARDEN TASKS – Some vegetables are still going full-tilt, so keep picking those annoying summer squash and tomatoes. Once it’s winter, you’ll be amazed to remember that you got tired of harvesting your fresh produce. For plants that have died, you might as well start cleaning up, as long as the weather is so nice. When you take plants to the weed pile, please leave as much of the dirt as possible back in your plot – the people who take our weeds to compost them don’t want dirt. (Occasionally when there is too much dirt in the pile, they’ll refuse to take it, and then we have to pay somebody to haul it away. But this hasn’t happened in a while, fortunately.)

If you have perennial flowers in your plot, this is a good time of year to divide them. Also, if you have geraniums, begonias, or impatiens in your garden, this is a good time to take cuttings of them to bring into your house and root for plants for next year. Here’s a website with details for rooting geranium cuttings: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/geranium/how-to-start-geranium-cuttings.htm 

Also, if your herbs are still in good shape, this is a good time to cut them and dry or freeze them for the winter. They won’t be as good as fresh, but they’ll be better than nothing.

REMINDER OF GARLIC WORKSHOP – Just a reminder that Gary K. will hold his annual Garlic Workshop on Sunday, September 20, at the Eagle Heights shed, starting at 9am. Several people have asked about where to buy garlic to plant – you can buy it at the grocery store, but it might have been treated with something to keep it from sprouting in storage. You’re better off getting it from a garden center, or, even easier, from one of the local Farmers’ Markets, where the prices and quality are good, and you’ll probably have a choice of varieties.

WEED-WHACKING? – I’ll send out the Doodle poll sign-up link for the next weed-whacking session later this week.

Happy Gardening and Stay Well,

Kathryn