Cantaloupe and Beets in the Fall

Bob Bauer

September 15, 2016 (Last Updated: March 06, 2023) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

September 13, 2016

The cantaloupe are ripening from my mid summer planting and the watermelon and honeydew are coming along. It's rewarding to have late melon as well as early ones, and this year's heat really helped them. There are still two plantings of corn that need an Indian summer to ripen, but I'd like it to cool down so the Brussels sprouts form..

I'm adjusting my gardening to the expectations of warmer summers. I'd really like warmer winters too, but shouldn't get my hopes up..

September 15, 2016

I had to thin the last planting of beets today and wondered again why I keep planting them so close together. I guess I still don't think I'll get good germination. I didn't used to because my soil was clay and I didn't know about covering the row with a board, but that's been years ago..

I keep sprinkling the seeds in the furrow like radish seeds and then have to cut off every one at the ground that isn't 2" apart. I have a suture removal scissors with long handles that make the job easier but a nose hair scissors would work, just not as cool..

September 16, 2016

Beets can stay in the ground until you're ready for them. Unlike corn, green beans and tomatoes which have a small window of harvest time beets can go through the winter. I've had them get to 5" diameter and still be delicious..

I cut them up in the garden to bite size chunks and my wife probably cooks them longer using the "poke them with a fork until tender test"..

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