November is always a hard month for me when dealing with the gardens and the homestead. Like most years, it gets light late, dark early, and it rains. A lot. Doesn’t make you enthralled to be outside I can attest. However….this year, the Sunglo greenhouse has made it more interesting (and fun).
In late October I planted up a number of seeds to play with, as Kirk installed the grow lights he had found me. These were leftover seeds, so if nothing grew, no real loss.
At the same time, the Fall green beans were coming in. While not huge, and oddly curved into circles, the beans were some of the tastiest I have grown. I grew them with no row covers. About the 3rd week of November I ripped them out for the season.
However, two plants went crazy in November, and I figure will continue this way till first snow – the Tangerine Sage and Pineapple Sage. The red flowers on both of them went for a second round in November. The hummingbirds love these plants as a side note, though most of them have left for the winter.
The Fall peas were also a winner. I finally tore them out this past Monday, as the inner plants were starting to rot. However, the green peas were still coming on, with even more flowers. The bees on warmer days were coming out for them. This year I did not use a row cover.
In early November I did a quick pop up for the farm store. Met a lot of new faces, and sold a lot of products!
One project I loved this month was the red onions. When I planted them in the beds, I had a few left over, so I planted them quickly in the green house. I didn’t think they’d grow…well the grow lights proved me wrong. In fact, they are doing well.
We went to Florida for a week for family, and I came back to the seeds taking off.
The Meyer Lemon tree is doing well, and the lemons started turning yellow in November.
Still, the Nasturtiums seem to like the cool weather and took off in November. They are still blooming on the last day of the month, and climbing more. I need to go pick seeds soon, before the promised December snows come.
And yes, the alpine strawberries keep producing. We were eating them until the end of the 3rd week of the month. To test a theory, I have brought in one of each variety into the greenhouse to winter over, under the lights. I want to see, if with lights, do they keep producing?
I got around to finishing up and packaging dried rosemary and lavender on a cold morning.
Alistaire loves helping break open new ground, as I ripped out the peas and sent them to the compost pile.
Eat Local.
The greenhouse at night is our purple party house – the full spectrum lights are really pretty. We have it set up that when the heater kicks on under 45°, the grow lights come on as well.
Not so pretty in November, as it is in say August. But lots of work going on.
Back to those seeds. They grew. And grew well! Buttercrunch Lettuce is nearly ready for a salad.
Baby Kale.
I might have to start making salads this week!
And those red onions? Growing very well.
December is here tomorrow morning. Snow is predicted (fingers crossed) next week. I’m trying to get all the yard work done, so I can say goodnight to the outdoors, and let it go to sleep till Spring. However, I know I will be in the greenhouse, enjoying the warm humidity and playing with seeds!