Here's our update, in case you find something useful for you. If not, let us know what kind of content you're needing now.

Fall-Winter Crop
We’ve transitioned to fall-winter mode with mostly brassicas-kales, broccoli, cauliflower, and several varieties of collards and Swiss chard. Row covers have been placed over nearly every bed making our little garden resemble a tent city.


Experimental Greenhouse Update
The cattle panel greenhouse is doing well keeping the tropical Gynura procumbens (Longevity Spinach) and a couple avocado plants alive even as temps dipped into the low 20’s. Then on sunny days, it’s the opposite challenge keeping the interior cool.

We’re still figuring out the best configuration and settings for the radiant oil-filled and ceramic heaters. It’s hard to find the “Goldilocks” setting amid all the moody weather swings, but we’re enjoying this little greenhouse experiment.

Winter Composting
Check out our article on winter composting for tips on how to carry your pile through the winter and be ready for spring. 

Fall Garden Maintenance
If you’re still working on fall garden cleanup, this may help.


2019 Garden in Review
Now is a great time to assess what worked in 2019 and what did not.

The Garden Planner has a spreadsheet of all the 2019 plantings and a special column for notes. This is very handy for planning the next season. 


Picking Winners and Losers
The following is by no means a complete rendition, it’s more a pick of the very best and the least likely to be in our 2020 garden.

2019 Winners

PLANTS

Greens

• Perpetual Spinach (var. of Swiss Chard)

Okra

• Baby Bubba
• Burgundy

Beans

• Romano Purpiat Pole
• Carminat Pole
• Marie’s Gold Vining Pole

Tomatoes

• Royal Hillbilly
• Cherokee Purple
• Dad’s Sunset
• Gold King of Siberia

Squash

• Red Kuri

Peppers

• Marconi
• Fish
• Purple
• Sugar Rush

Other

• Comfrey - great for compost tea

Materials

• Row covers
• Jute Twine
• String Clips
• Surround (Kaolin Clay)
• BCT (Powder & Liquid)
• Fox Farm Liquid Fertilizer

Tools

• Battery-Powered Sprayer
• Kneeling Pad
• iPhone
• The Garden Planner via Old Farmers Almanac

2019 Losers

Rotten banana method for attracting hummingbirds.
Place rotten bananas inside and fruit flies will come around. Hummers eat the fruit flies. Never got to the fruit fly stage because some critter kept stealing the bananas.

Reflective tape - bird deterrent
Very bright and reflective mylar material is prone to breaking and sun deterioration. We’ll be picking up the pieces for a long time. And not sure it ever scared anything away.

Brad’s Atomic Grape Tomatoes
Bigger than a grape. Almost all fruits split upon ripening. Very susceptible to blight. Slow to ripen if picked early. Not all that tasty.



Okay, that's a wrap! Let us know what’s going on in your garden. Still growing or have you declared a winter freeze? Comments and pics are welcome via reply to this email, on the GardensAll Facebook page, or in the Planting for Retirement Facebook group.




A Grateful Gardener,

Coleman
GardensAll.com