The fall harvest is coming in. The big dig for potatoes is on, which will be followed by sunchokes. The sunchokes haven't grown to size yet, and are just finishing flowering, so they'll be in the ground a few more weeks. Winter radishes are now coming out: watermelon and purple and white daikon in their glory. Greens are also growing well again in the cool, but much more slowly post-Equinox. We say a seasonal goodbye to tomatoes and cucumbers, looking forward to seeing them again next year, and delighting in the ones we've canned, dried and frozen.
As crops come out we're preparing them for next year by adding cover crops, compost, manure and other organic matter. Organic matter increases the water-holding potential of the soil, as well as loosening the clay as the earthworms work it in. We also get the paths worked up so the beds are well raised, and plan to add lots of wood chips to reduce weed pressure in the paths and increase organic matter across the whole farm.
