Day before yesterday we put cold frames on the bed of peppers (they've been especially slow this year, but now have many blossoms on them) and the bed of cherry tomatoes.They're opened up during the day . . .
. . . but closed down each night when the sun no longer offers any warmth.I didn't put a cold frame over the slicing cucs, as we're kinda full of as many as we can eat fresh, and I have about 15 harvested cucs stored in the spare refrigerator as we speak. But this morning I'm wondering if I should try to prolong the harvest of cucs to make more of Jennifer Jo's refrigerator pickles. Last night I made two more half gallon jars full. One for us and one for Chicken Mama to take home. I might/maybe/should haul out another cold frame to prolong the life of the cucumber bed.
"Oh, Papa Pea? Honey? I need your help. Again."
21 comments:
What a great idea to use the cold frames to prolong the growing season. I have only used them in the spring.
Myrna @ The Iowa Housewife
The smell of wood burning, I love it but it also means soon I will be hauling it into burn by the wheelbarrow as it is our only heat source. I have already started scouting for trees to saw up for next year's wood, it never ends. I like your cold frames, that will be a future project for us, I just plant fall stuff now but it would be nice to push the summer vegetables into the fall a little further.
Love those cold frames.
Hi, Myrna - Welcome and thanks for commenting. Our season is so short up here (northern Minnesota) that the cold frames are almost a "must" on each end of our growing season!
Sunnybrook Farm - We heat with wood, too. Used to have a gas furnace in the basement but that went out with our recent remodeling. We really do need to get something for if and when we ever need to be gone overnight in the cold weather though.
The cold frames have really made gardening much easier for us.
DFW - Thanks! I didn't use them much this spring because we had that wacky, hot spring . . . which I don't think helped the garden a bit!
Yup it's sweater time! You should see how many blossoms our pumpkins and cukes have on them now. Too bad it's getting too cold at night for them to produce anything now. We don't have any cold frames to cover them so we'll just enjoy the flowers.
I was happy to see 49 degrees this morning too. Now remind me I said that when I am freezing to death in a few weeks. My poor farm sitter has a list of what to close, pick, etc if there is a frost when we are gone. This would be the year there will be an early frost. Nothing has gone the way it should, so that is just par for the course.
Although we're no where near ready to put logs in the wood stove, I'm happy to say that I am sipping hot tea a I type!
Hoping we can put some stuff in under cold frames this fall and even see if we can get some lettuce or spinach over the winter here. You never know!
BTW, your cold frames are wonderful, as is the DH that is making you more (hopefully as we speak!).
Thanks for sending those northerly breezes down our way MP. I was shivering this morning. SHIVERING I tell you! What bliss to actually FEEL cold for a change.
Here's to Fall! (I just adore this time of the year!)
Glad it's cooling off for you. We had a cooler front move in over night too, it wasn't 50, but probably high 60's when I got up this morning. Definitely feeling a crisp to the morning air, and seeing lots of Canadian geese.
Thanks for the great idea. My peppers are just blooming and are really slow this year. I think I'll put up a couple of cold frames around them. Enjoy this wonderful weather.
Rhonda
Sparkless - Pumpkins, cucumbers and squashes all have beautiful blossoms, don't they? We should all enjoy them no matter when they show their faces.
Jane - Well, so many people have been giving reports of the early onset of fall you do have to wonder if a killing frost will come early, too. Darn.
CR - In your climate you really should be able to winter over some greens, no? I remember we used to in Illinois when they were covered with a cold frame.
Happily, we have many cold frames that were made previously and waiting to be used so Papa Pea doesn't have to make any more this year. I just need help carrying one from storage to put on the cuc bed.
Tami - With your current hormonal state, you may never even have to put on a jacket when going outside all winter!
I love this time of year also. It truly is invigorating. And ya don't get so darn sweaty when trying to do any little thing!
Stephanie - Now you have to bundle up to make it through the winter . . . even though you're now living in The South! I know you prefer the warm weather. Don't blink! It will be back again before you know it.
Hi, Rhonda - Yeah, what was it with the peppers this year?? Mine that have formed already and are supposed to turn from green to red are still a deep, dark green. And I, too, have lots of blossoms now. Hrumpf. Sure can't figure this year out!
Hubby built a fire in the woodstove last night. It was a bit cooler than it has been, but no where near fire weather in my opinion. Of course, that may have something to do with the 112 degree weather in Arizona, so our Oregon coast temps feel great. Love your cold frames for winter.
Ruth - I won't let my hubby build a fire yet in the evening, although he wants to. I am so enjoying it being COOL at night in the house for sleeping! I could almost survive all winter with no fire over night (well, probably not), but I sure am anxious to have the chill taken off the house first thing in the morning!
A fire in the wood stove, nice! I hope you continue to have nice cool nights and some warm sun during the day for many weeks yet :)
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