A moderate fall harvest

In this unusual year, one crop did very well: potatoes. In more than 25 years of growing here I've never had larger ones. This must be due to the immense amount of rain in June and July. Most of the Satinas are near a pound in weight and larger in size than the big store-bought russet ones, although the Satinas are white but not russet potatoes. In past years Satinas have been medium sized at best. The Dark Red Norland potatoes, earlier, also were larger than ever; but the Satinas grew longer and when I pulled them out yesterday the some were still growing. The onions, on the other hand, are puny. Tomatoes have been finally ripening, and if we don't get a frost before the end of the month and late blight doesn't take them, there will be enough for the year's worth of puree. Similarly, the edamame is coming in, and although in an average year I'd have harvested them already, if there's no frost by the end of the month I should be able to get some at least. The cabbages did well enough, as did the greens; the string beans are puny and late, and it's lucky I decided not to plant dry beans this year (I have enough sitting in jars from the last couple of years).

The winter rye in the garden by the store is doing all right, and today I took the sickle bar to the mat of vetch in the garden down toward the Scotts. Also picked up my spare sickle bar after repairs; that makes $500 in repairs of the two sickle bars this summer, although a new one costs $1000. I hope they last another 20 years. The apples are a little smaller than usual, and otherwise an average year in quantity. Considering the work I must do this fall in preparing my lecture series for my trip to Beijing I'm not sure there'll be enough time for a cider pressing, but we'll see. Altogether a moderate harvest is possible, better than I thought it would be at the end of July; but we'll have to see how soon the first frost comes.