Goodbye Is Hard Sometimes

Oops! Forgot to post this one. The real date should be 10/18/10.

To pull or not to pull, that is the question. I’m in the middle of a vicious internal debate of whether or not to pull out my tomato plants. I pulled out about five of them but then I had to stop myself. The weather is starting to turn and I’m wondering if the milking the tomato time should be over. Is it time to let go of summer?

I really hate to do it but all good things must pass and I realize that when I do let go, there are new treasures to be found. I took a leap and I let go of my sweet potato plants and found that there were delicious treats beneath the surface. And since I ripped them clean out, I used that bed to plant my garlic. By the way, some of my sweet potatoes were shaped strangely due to the clay beneath my topsoil.

I planted my garbanzo beans, winter rye, crimson clover, garlic and shallots this weekend. I had to replant some lettuce, broccoli and bock choy because there have been some hungry moth visitors.

While researching cover crops a few weeks ago I found that many of the legumes must be inoculated just before planting. The inoculation (bacteria) allows for the plant to not only grow more vigorously but it also helps it to create more of the nitrogen fixing nodules on the roots. This is a simple process – all that you need to do is purchase the specific type of inoculants for the crop and then you mix up a slurry of bacteria and water to dump the seeds in. I know, it sounds delightful! Mix the seeds around and then plant them immediately.

The flowers and herbs are starting to die back but they are holding on to the last moments of warmth. The pepper plants are still producing but they are lacking the lustrous shine and vivid colors they once displayed.

I remember reading a Feng Shui guide once and it said to remove plants that are not looking their best – just toss them because otherwise you will not have room for things that are really beautiful. I suppose that is true. I may be holding on to the fun memories from this summer’s garden but I’m not making any room for new ones.

It’s hard to say goodbye to all of those seedlings that I started in my apartment window last February but this is the cycle of growing things. In an effort to “let go,” I’m remembering that cool weather brings my favorite fleeting flower, Daphne odora. I can almost smell it now.

Daphne