What Remains?

The year has been, overall, a good one, with both successes and failures, of course. All raise beds afe now framed, in either redwood or cedar. This is a must to keep our front yard kitchen garden tidy looking. About 70% of the beds are on drip irrigation, the rest to be done over the fall winter. Perimeter flood lights, to allow working after we arrive home during the winter, are mostly complete, but I like it so well I may ad a few more on the other side of the garden.

Failures? Learning to fully utilize the greenhouse comes to mind. Tomatoes were only so-so this year. Still not starting enough of my own seedlings, so expenses for purchased plants still too high. Also, purchased organic materials such as baggd compost and manures way too much. Finally, not saving my own seed yet, but that will be remedied.

Today is Sunday, Oct. 26. Yesterday, I attended a garlic-growing workshop at UCSC, co-hosted by the director of the AgroEcology program, and one of his former students, Pete Rasmussen of SandHills Farm in Utah. Pete brought my 4 lbs. seed garlic I purchase from him, and this a.m., it went in the ground. Also managed to plant some Nero di Toscana Kale. Early a.m., I had picked up another huge terra Cotta pot intended for another of my dwarf citrus  trees. Thought I might pot it up, but as the kids are coming for Sunday dinner, I am happy to have gotten done what I did. Will do tomorrow, I hope.

Planted four hardneck varieties of garlic. Rosewood, Siberian, Corona Music, and Chesnok. Most of what is grown in California - and California grows LOTS of Garlic - is of the softneck variety, generally very reliable, but mostly uninteresting stuff. Harnecks are the true gourmet garlic, with wide assortment of flavor profiles. As a rule, hardnecks are best in northern climates, softnecks in the warmer southern climates. Here on the central coast,coastal  Santa Cruz is just about as far south as hardne ks can be reliably grown, so I am told, but that varies year to year with the severity of the weather. Since I am in the mountains inland of S.C. by twelve miles, and our mountain valley climate is quite a bit colder, hopefully  these superior flavored hardnecks will thrive for me.

Living where we do, there are many microclimates, giving places only a few miles apart, widely different temperatures and conditions. For example, I am on the valley floor, and thus can frequently get light frosts from about Dec.- Feb., with the odd heavier frost, and a light dusting of snow only once every couple years. A gardening friend, - only a few miles away as the crow flies, but a few hundred feet higher in elevation - seldom gets frost. I will thus, on the coldest nights, have to wrap my five dwarf Citrus trees with Agribond, and probably plastic, removing it in the mornings. During those months, winter temps may be 20's at night, 40's/50's during the day. The most difficult citrus to grow here is grapefruit. Time will tell.