Fresh Lettuce Season Is Over

November 4th found me weeding the last outdoor planting of lettuce for this year.  We have found planting lettuce seeds in plastic pots to be the most effective method for us.  High soil temperatures inhibit seed germination during the summer.  An early start is possible when the soil remains cold in the spring.  It is also much easier for our creaky bodies to thin the lettuce seedlings on the planting bench.  No bending over and the ability to see what needs to be removed are big pluses for us.  This planting was properly weeded and Becky clear cut it before the monster storm froze everything solid.  We ate the last of this lettuce yesterday.  It was wonderful.

There are always more plants than can be planted out since lettuce must go under a wire cage.  The plan was to move these plants into the basement on cold nights and set them out on the wall on warm sunny days.  There have been no warm sunny days recently and these plants now languish on a basement windowsill.  With December days close at hand, these plants are facing the end of their season.

Johnny's Select Seeds was our source for Flashy Trout Back lettuce.  Its color is bright and cheerful and the tasty is incredible.  Johnny recently retired selling the business to the employees.  It may be that the transfer of funds will be completed by an increase on each seed pack.  That is an admirable and responsible plan to transfer ownership but I found the new cost of a pack of lettuce seeds to be more than I was willing to pay.  The last of my stock of Flashy Trout Back seeds were planted.  The plants were left to go to seed but I never got around to collecting any.  Some self planted seed grew of its own accord but they are simply too late. I have to wonder if we can keep these little lettuce plants alive until spring but the odds are if I am to continue eating this variety of lettuce, the high price of seed will have to be paid.

Our fresh from the garden lettuce season started early and is ending quite late.  Repeated plantings kept the supply continuous.  Several years ago in a much smaller garden, we did enjoy fresh from the garden lettuce with Christmas dinner.  A small cold frame and a much later arrival of winter made that possible.  Perhaps we should look into a new cold frame for next year.

Sun Ripened Tomatoes

Tomatoes fresh from the garden on a warm sunny day are a taste experience that defies description.  That is one reason why we garden.  The quality of home grown can wildly surpass anything offered for sale at the market.  For the past two years, late blight has taken our tomatoes soon after the first tomatoes ripened.  Our choice was to give up or try something different.  Not ready to quit, we tried something different.

Starting our own plants from seed gives us total control over both variety and condition of the plants. This year we started our plants earlier than normal planning to move them into one gallon pots well in advance of the June first frost safe date.  That size container allowed the new transplants ample room to grow.  Cold nights found us carrying the pots into the warmth of the basement.  May 30th is the date of the wall picture.

This close up was taken three days later.  Good thick stems with generous leaf growth put these plants well ahead of nursery stock.  Dowels were added for support after a strong wind bent the plants.  We decided to try transplanting without cut worm collars since the thick stems seemed beyond their bite.  We lost no plants to cut worms.  A quick final weeding and these plants were ready for the garden.

Our first ripe tomato was harvested on the last day of July.  We may have had ripe tomatoes earlier if there had been more sunny days and fewer rainy ones.  If the weather cooperates, we may have weeks of sun ripened tomatoes.

At this time of year our valley fills with fog nearly every night.  All plants here start the day with wet leaves inviting fungus growth.  It is also common here for August days to be Alabama hot and humid.  That combination of heat and moisture can allow the plant leaves to remain wet all day.  Fortunately this year, our days have recently been cool and clear.  If this weather holds for some time, we may avoid the blight.

Our blight response plan has us harvesting green tomatoes at the first sign of blight.  If the tomatoes are moved inside while clean, we can continue to eat our tomatoes after the blight has ended the plants.  Tonight's meal will consist of BLTs made with lettuce and tomatoes from our garden.  We will enjoy this for us seasonal treat, as long as the harvest can continue.  We have not given up hope that the September frost will end our tomato harvest instead of that @*!# late blight!

Accurate record keeping is perhaps our weakest skill.  As luck would have it, the card showing the planting date and the varieties planted just turned up.  On April first Better Boy, Italian Goliath, Ferline and Red Siberian varieties were planted.  A more traditional seed starting date would be mid April here.  The early start followed by the transplant to one gallon pots allowed us to plant out large healthy tomato plants.