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Farm
& Garden
Gardening: Indoors & Out
. Green
Tomatoes & Other November Facts What
is the late November doing ..........
With
the disturbance of spring ...............
The
dancers are all gone under the hill.
East Coker, T.S. Eliot
 | Tomatoes
Ripening on a Sun Porch Sill
... in September, not
November
{click on image for larger view} |
November.
... Not ten days ago, the sun
was still setting at a reasonable hour. Then comes the last weekend in
October and, zap, the clocks fall back, and we along with them. Now, by
five all you'll see is a faint afterglow in the southeast, and that only if the
sky is clear, which, in November, often enough, it isn't. Let's
face it. November in the garden is not the most rewarding month.
Odds are, even if we've managed to stave off more than one killing frost so far
{which, at least up here in Bristol Notch, we haven't}, and even if you've
mulched the plants shoulder-high {in which case, the mice have probably enjoyed
what's under there already}, well, there's just not much left out there to pick
from is there?. But let's not despair here.
November may not be rich in bounty, but it more than makes up for that with all
the chores it calls you to do. So, take heart and let yourself get
distracted from creeping cold and the deepening dark by tending to something
like ...
green tomatoes. If you managed to grab some
-- whether a few hands-full or a bushel, treating them right will mean
some good eating past Thanksgiving. The secret to success with green
tomatoes is mainly a matter of maturity. If you pick them when
they've finished growing, even though they haven't ripened yet, the odds
are with you for some tasty results. For those that haven't matured
yet, you can always rip the plant up, roots and all, and hang it upside
down.
.
However you go about it, keep
them out of direct sun. No windowsills. Preferably, wrap them
individually in newspaper and store them above floor height at room
temp. It also helps if you place them in whatever container -- box
or bag or some third thing -- upside down. Some folks also say that
you can hasten ripening by placing them in a brown paper bag with an
apple?!? Failing any of the above, you can turn to any of hundreds
of recipes for "Green Tomato Whatever."
. mulching.
Another November chore, preferably one that you can put off until Thanksgiving
weekend or so, is mulching. The trick to timing is to mulch when the
ground just starts to freeze, but before the first snowfall. What
you use to mulch depends on what you prefer and what's available -- hay,
pine needles, leaves {chopped only}, bark. Hay is probably best,
since it's light and has plenty of structure for trapping air, thereby
improving the insulating quality. Three or four inches should do
it. But if you still have plants wintering over, pull the mulch back
slightly for some breathing space. And if you're thinking about
adding fertilizer about now, don't. It's usually a waste, since most
of the nutrients will leech out over the late fall and early spring before
it'll do any good.
. winterize
your mower or tiller. Even the most conscientious gardeners who
wouldn't let a single aphid go by unchallenged often neglect the power
equipment. You don't have to. At a minimum, all you really
need to do are a couple of basic things: Either drain the gas tank
or fill it and add some fuel stabilizer. If you choose the latter
method, run the engine for about 5-10 minutes to let the stabilizer work
it's way through the entire system -- carb, lines, etc. And avoid
the 'Plus' or 89 octane gas, since it has more of a tendency to lacquer
up. After that, take out the spark plug and pour a couple of
tablespoons of oil into the cylinder. That's it. You're
done. And when Spring finally rolls around, you'll be glad you only
had to pull on the rope once or twice instead of wrestling with it like
Jacob and the angel.
. for
those who can't bear the lack of blossoms. Finally, if the
thought of waiting until next year to see blossoms just drives you to
distraction, get hold of some paper-whites {narcissus} now and plant them
in a bulb pan or other suitable container. With a little attention
and a little luck, you should see the blossoms around Christmas.
Oh, yeah. ... One of the other good
things about November is that, most years, by the time November is winding to an
end, the first snows have covered up all the things you didn't get to. And
with any luck, minus maybe a big January Thaw, you won't have all those
unfinished chores staring you in the face until well into the New Year. . *******
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