September has arrived with cooler temperatures, nippy nights, and a few falling leaves. The summer vegetable crops are slowing down. The days are getting shorter by a minute each evening. Lower humidity paves the way to more comfortable temperatures. September colors the western horizon with colorful sunsets and fill the evening sky with hues of red, purple, orange, pink, yellow and dark wine. The sunsets enhance the glow of the first displays of colorful leaves that are beginning to fall, sunsets and falling leaves usher in the advent of autumn’s artistry.
Hints of autumn displayed in dogwoods
The dogwoods show a shade of crimson in their leaves and berries are beginning to turn their bright red where the flowers bloomed during spring. There are lots of the berries which could be a sign of a harsh winter. Usually the maples and dogwoods are among the first to shed their leaves.
Indian Summer arrives
The call of the crows signals the arrival of the crisp days of Indian Summer after the dense fogs and heavy dews of August. With days getting shorter and nights getting a bit nippy and crickets getting louder, we feel the pangs of Indian Summer on the front porch. We are feeling the transition from summer warmth turn into the chill of autumn.
Making a butterscotch apple crispy
As September arrives, so do the first of the season’s apple crop. Apples can be used in so many recipes and this is a very special one with a different flavor. You will need four cups of cubed, tart apples mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice, two three-ounce boxes of Jello instant pudding mix, one cup of light melted margarine, one teaspoon of McCormick apple pie spices, one teaspoon vanilla extract, two cups of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, and half cup sugar. Combine apple cubes, one box of butterscotch pudding, lemon juice and pour into a 13x3x2 inch baking dish sprayed with Pam baking spray. Add melted margarine with vanilla extract, apple pie spices, sugar, one box instant butterscotch putting mix, and two cups Raisin Bran. Spread on top of the apple mixture. Add a little water to mixture to moisten. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Keeping late tomatoes fed and watered
The late tomatoes in the garden need to be fed with Tomato-Tone organic tomato food and watered at the base of the plants once each week. This will give them the boost they need to produce an autumn harvest. These will be the tomatoes you can harvest before frost and bring inside the house to ripen. After applying Tomato-Tone, hill up soil on both sides of the row to cover the Tomato-Tone.
The mighty oaks unloading acorns
The mighty oaks always have two harvests each autumn. First, they unload their harvest of acorns in September and October and in November, they unload their harvest of leaves. My Northampton County grandma said a huge acorn crop pointed to plenty of snowfalls during winter.
Feed cool weather crops organic foods
The garden is only as healthy as the foods you use to feed it. Organic foods not only feed the vegetables and flowers but they enhance the soil. Peat moss adds texture and moisture retention to the soil. Black Kow composted cow manure builds up the soil and adds nutrients. You can choose from those organic foods from Esponia that have been used for over hundred years. You can select from Holly-Tone evergreen organic food, Rose-Tone organic rose food, Azalea-Tone organic Azalea food, Plant-Tone organic vegetable food, Garden-Tone herb and vegetable food, Flower-Tone organic rose food, and Holly-Tone for shrubs and landscapes. These products are packaged in four-pound zippered bags. They are finely textured and absorb quickly into the soil. These products are good for your garden, flowers, your health, and the environment. They feed the garden rather than fertilize it!
September is the month to sow turnips
Cooler nights of September is the ideal time to sow a row of purple top turnips. They will thrive in the cool temperatures as the month has a nip in it that turnips respond quickly to. Give turnips an extra boost by applying a layer of peat moss in bottom of the furrow to add texture to the soil and help it retain moisture. Lightly sprinkle the seeds and top with a layer of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food before hilling up soil on each side of the furrow. Water once each week with the water wand when no rain is in the forecast.
Planting a row of onion sets
Onion sets are another root crop that will perform well in winter. You can choose from yellow, red, or white sets. Apply a layer of peat moss in bottom of the furrow and set the onions about three inches apart and cover with another layer of peat moss. Top with a layer of Plant-tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Side-dress once a month with Plant-Tone and hill up soil on both sides of the row. Water with the water wand each week when no rain falls.
Autumn garden more comfortable, easy
Lower temperatures, low humidity, and nature’s air conditioning make the task of the garden pleasant and much easier as well as comfortable. There is a huge inventory of cool weather vegetables that can fill the garden and they will produce a harvest well into spring. You can choose from Siberian Kale, curly mustard, leafy turnip, purple top turnips, onion sets, cabbage, collards, broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. You can prolong the harvest as weather arrives by applying a layer of crushed leaves on each side of the rows.
Checking out panda and asparagus ferns
Cooler temperatures are now in the forecast. Check out the ferns and trim them back in mid-October, it will be time to move them into a semi-sunny location in the house to spend late autumn, winter, and early spring. Keep them watered each week and fed with Flower-Tone every 15 days. Move them into the house around the end of October or when the first frost is predicted.
Christmas cactus cascade in late summer
All four of the Christmas Cactus are cascading over their containers as we move into the month of September. They are on the backside of the front porch in a position away from direct sunlight. This prevents foliage from turning reddish in color. Cactus need a drink of water each week and feed them with Flower-Tone organic flower food once a month. They will be moved into a semi-sunny location in the house in late October before the frost arrives.
Late summer apple harvest is here
The colors of red, yellow, green, pink, gold, and scarlet now highlight the produce stands, fruit markets, and supermarkets. The seasons first apples are now being sold in bushel baskets, peck bags or by the pound. Apples come in all sizes and they range in taste from mellow, sweet, tart, crisp, and in varied colors. Later in the season around mid to late October, the country’s best tasting of all apples will be arriving from New York state. We don’t know whether it is the mountain air, cold winters, plenty of snow or the loamy soil. These apples are mellow, tart, and more colorful than any others from everywhere. Another plus is they are easier to peel.
Hoe hoe hoedown
“Delayed Exercise.” Ken: “There is nothing like getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning, taking a cold shower and a five mile jog before eating breakfast.” Ben: “How long have you been doing this?” Ken: “I start tomorrow.”
“Escape in a flash.” A boy from Chicago was on a tour through the Florida swamps. He asked the guide, “Is it true that an alligator will not attack you if you carry a flashlight?” The guide said, “Well, that depends on how fast you carry that flashlight.”
“Saying I do.” There are a number of things that are easier said then done- like a wedding vow!
The almanac for September
The new moon of September occurred on Monday, Sept. 2. Grandparents Day was celebrated on Sunday, Sept. 8. The moon enters its first quarter on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Patriots Day is remembered on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The full moon occurs on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 17. The moon is named Full Harvest Moon. Other names for this full moon are Yellow Leaf Moon and Full Corn Moon. The first day of autumn is Sunday, Sept. 22. The moon reaches its last quarter on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
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