It was a light, mild frost reminding us that winter is coming. I love all the seasons, but the last and first frost are like bookmarks on a season. Peaceful, restful, a changing of the guard as the weather changes so does the farm, its rhythm, its cadence, its pace all foretell a shift is coming.
Rarely, am I ever caught off guard by an early or late frost, the severity of the frost can catch me off guard, but rarely a frost. Now a thunder shower, unlike a frost, can and often does catch me by surprise, especially since our family hasn’t grown hay for several years. Nothing dials in your weather acumen like hay farming! Those farmers could work for KOMO as weather people!
Clear, beautiful skies this time of year are a telltale sign that the first frost is coming. Some years we won’t have a frost until mid-November, mostly because of those gray, drizzly overcast Falls that insulate us from extreme weather changes. Still a mid to late October frost is about normal.
This year John has been able to harvest all the squash before the frost and the farm is mostly put to bed. We are waiting for the garlic seed to arrive and are hopeful for a few more days to plant before it gets any wetter. I remember a few years ago, it rained all October, we just mudded in the garlic! It grew okay, but it was less than desirable planting conditions. Fingers crossed we won’t have that issue. Either way the Garlic is getting planted!
We are also adding Daffodil’s to our farm. Just a few thousand feet to try them out. Flowers are fun to grow, but we are not set up to deliver bouquets. But Daffodils are different, they can be shipped to you just before they open. Our youngest daughter Joanna (and Joelle) love flowers, and I am thinking that this can be her crop. The daffodils are planted, unlike the garlic.
Did you know that Daffodil bulbs are planted 6 inches deep and garlic bulbs are planted 1 inch deep, just barely covering the “hat” or top of the garlic? If I had not studied up, I would have planted them just like garlic.
So next spring look for some Daffodils to show up you can add them to your order. It is fun to grow different crops and adding flowers will be fun.
-Tristan Klesick