Fenton Friday: Freeze Alert

I missed checking in last week with a Fenton Friday post as I was at the Turning a New Leaf Conference in Herndon, VA. It was such a nice day at the meeting, that a garden writer friend and I took our lunch break outside the hotel. Little did I know that it would be once of our last chances to do so this year. The arctic front has moved down to our region and several cloudy/rainy days are now followed by frigid temps tonight. This is likely the end of the growing season for the most part.

We dug up some 'Icicle' radishes and 'Purple Top' turnips a few days ago. I saw that my garlic had sent up some green shoots and piked a few last zinnia blooms.

The broccoli under the row cover had grown a bit, but it appears that slugs had snuck under the protective blanket and did some serious damage to the foliage. I applied some organic Sluggo-Plus pellets yesterday and hope that takes care of them.

How is your vegetable garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday: 

Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 6th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: You Slug Me

Late summer at my community garden plot is the time to give up on a few things. Like the Basil that I was constantly deadheading so it wouldn't flower and go to seed. At this point, I'm ready to let it go and let the bees have their way with it.

I am also thinking I will rip out all the cherry tomato vines -- even though they are still producing like crazy. They have just worn out their welcome and I'm frankly sick of re-tying them constantly and trying to keep them out of the pathways and off of the other plants.

On another topic, it has been dry as dust this past month, so HOW on earth did a slug manage to show up in my plot munching on a Swiss Chard seedling?!? I had given up on the failing chard in any case, but still, it is the principle of the thing. All the gall of this little booger to be all out in the open and brazen about it. He is lucky I did not stomp him as I was wearing sandals and also that is just too violent for my live-and-let-live temperament. Instead, I passive-aggressively moved him to a rocky spot that I hope a crow or other large bird would swoop down and eat him. He does have nice leopard-spotting, if you can get past his pest-like habits.

How is your edible garden growing this week?

 
About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 4th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)