Greenhouse Abundance in August

Is it really time to harvest my one measly dwarf pumpkin and the last of my tomatoes in the greenhouse? I think so. I ducked my head inside today and, with a sigh, acknowledged that its time to clean the greenhouse out and get my winter crops really going or it’ll be a long winter of grocery store visits.

The tomatoes in the greenhouse are a bit root-bound in their large containers. I kept them in the greenhouse to coddle them along in our unusually cool, wet summer. It worked pretty well, but I’m glad I did make a few plants brave the unprotected garden beds. Those plants are still plugging along and should provide tomatoes into October (oops! Did I just jinx myself? Maybe…)

Every year is different…did I say that already? Again…and again I learn this lesson as a gardener. Every year I try something different. And, each year I have some repeat successes from lessons I’ve learned over the years. Maybe by the time I’m dead, I’ll have everything working perfectly. Probably not, but perfection is heavenly!

Cinderella Alone at the Ball

My dwarf pumpkin never made it out of the greenhouse. I had every intention of putting it into the garden, but it just never happened. Eventually it twined itself among the shelves in the greenhouse and seemed happiest there. It bloomed and had trouble setting a lot of viable fruit. But, my one little Cinderella is adorable.

I do have beets, peas, chard, cabbage, broccoli and kale in small pots in the greenhouse, but it’s time to give them some more room and more prominence. It’s time to let go of summer crops and invigorate winter ones. Many of these will do just fine in my small, zippered greenhouse. I do wish I had space to place it over earth rather than cement patio. This would allow me to pot some plants into the earth where their roots would really have space. Alas, the patio it is in my limited garden, and things do just fine.

So, how will I prep the greenhouse. Well, after I clear everything out this weekend, I’ll be washing it down well and airing it out. It smells a bit dank and fungus is definitely making a run for its own livelihood in there. No, I won’t apply fungicides…not my style. Last season (I started it in early spring), things did just fine organically.

Once the greenhouse is aired, I’ll pot up the winter crops, and give them the sunniest spots in the greenhouse. The Katsura to the south of the greenhouse, which provides a bit of hot summer sun protection, is turning yellow (and putting off its fantastic cotton candy autumn aroma).  Once it looses its leaves the greenhouse will be bathed in as much winter sun as possible, fostering leafy greens for us to enjoy throughout the year.