In the Mood for Salad

On what I hope is the last hot day of the year, with half an inch of rain in the forecast, I decided to rip out the tomato plants and prep for winter planting.  I was still getting a few small Romas, and getting to some of them before the squirrel did.

The front yard patch was easy.  I plucked a few half-green tomatoes to finish up in the ripening bag, pulled up the plant and cage, and raked water and food into the soil.

I made a pretty good mess tearing out the tomato vines in the Pond.  The plants were mostly healthy, with just a few signs of mold from cooler nights.  I kept the green tomatoes to make pickles and put the vines in the greens bin.

At this point, the Pond had more grass in it than my lawn did.  I did a thorough weeding, feeding, and watering to make it ready for planting in a few days.  You don't plant the same day the vegetable food goes in.  It has to dissolve into the soil.  I also wanted the upcoming rain to finish deep-watering the mud puddle I had made.

Meanwhile, the artichoke plant that I thought had died came back to life with a month of persistent watering.  I also still have a flourishing pot of basil that needs some ripened seed pods removed.  Two pots of catnip are still healthy and have not been eradicated by Molly.  I went to weed the one in the back yard and found some cilantro sprouts that must have self-seeded from last year.  In the middle of November!

A few days after the rain, the soil was still moist but not muddy.  The day was around 72º and the next rain won't start until tomorrow.  Perfect planting weather.  I put lettuces and celery in the front yard and the root veggies in the pond.

Right now, they are merely planting sticks.  The radishes and beets should come up first, followed next week by the Romaine and arugula.  I need to get more carrot seeds, though.  All of them would have to succeed for a decent number of carrots in their line.  I'll know in a week.