Verlys Huntley, Notes from the Garden

Hasn’t October been a marvelous month? Perhaps a little dry, but the weather was absolutely perfect for harvesting and for finishing those late garden chores. Who would have thought a month ago that we would now be needing some rain before the ground freezes up?

The forecast for this week shows a chance for rain almost every day, so apparently the weather pattern is changing, with even a possibility for snow flakes later in the week.

Here are some things we can do this time of year:

Plant spring flowering bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, etc.

Plant garlic (mulching after planting is a good idea).

Apply fertilizer to lawns. If only doing one application of fertilizer to lawns, experts tell us fall is the time of year to fertilize.

Rake off or chop excess leaves on your lawn. If raking off leaves, compost them or till them into your garden.

Remove old vines and plants from garden. If possible, burn or dispose of all diseased plants, expecially tomato plants, which can carry blights and other diseases to next years crop. Also dispose of any weeds with seeds on them. The rest can be put in your compost pile. Then till the garden, if soil conditions permit.

If you have asparagus, do not prune or remove the foliage until it has frozen really hard. Actually, I prefer waiting and cutting it off in the spring, as it helps catch snow during the winter, which provides some protection during the winter and may help avoid having the asparagus come up too early and get frozen.

Cover strawberries with three to five inches of straw to protect the crowns, which is especially important during the spring freezing and thawing cycles.

Water well (unless we have adequate rain) and mulch tender perennials and evergreens and any newly planted shrubs and trees before the ground freezes.

Dig canna, calla lilies, dahlias and glads after the tops have frozen back and store in cool, non-freezing area.

Protect any young trees or shrubs with hardware cloth to avoid rabbit damage during the winter.

Clean up garden tools, drain and store hoses inside and drain and clean out any sprayers.

Bring in any geraniums for the winter before a hard frost if you plan to save them for the following year.

Make notes about your garden, things you may want to do differently the next year, things that worked especially well, varieties you liked or did not like, etc. I try to keep a record on a daily basis of what I do in the garden. Good records can be very valuable.

Farmers Market notes

The Albert Lea Farmers Market will be open yet at our outdoor location today and Saturday. Saturday, Oct. 30, will be our last day outside, but on Saturday, Nov. 6, we will be in the Northbridge Mall food court area. Because we have not yet had a real hard freeze, there is still a pretty good variety of produce, plus lots of baked goods, jams and jellies, honey, fall decorative items, eggs, meat and some really nice craft items. We plan to be at the mall in November and December, on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday, opening at 10 a.m.

In addition to picking up the things you need, if you are looking for a special gift item or some baked goods for the holidays, be sure to come out.

Produce of the week: Potatoes

The potato is the leading vegetable grown worldwide and was native to the Andean Mountain region of South America, where it has been cultivated since 3000 B.C. Spanish explorers brought the potato to Europe. In Ireland, dependence on the potato was so great that the crop failure in 1845 caused a severe famine and a massive immigration to the U.S. Believed to be a high calorie food, the potato itself is a good source of iron, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and vitamins C and B. One four-inch cooked white potato has only 76 calories. What we put on the potato or how we prepare it determines how fattening it is. A lot of potatoes in this country are consumed as french fries or potato chips, which adds considerable calories and fat.

Store potatoes in a cool, moist, dark place. Do not store in the refrigerator as it causes an undesirable sweeter taste. Exposure to sunlight causes the skin, especially on white potatoes, to turn green and slightly toxic. Trim this off before using.

Russets are higher in starch and more mealy and are good for baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. Red Norlands are lower in starch and good for boiling and potato salad. White potatoes in the medium starch range are all-purpose.

Potato soup

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup chopped onion

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups water

3 cups milk

Heat butter in large saucepan. Saute onion until soft. Add potatoes, salt, pepper and water. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add milk and heat through.

Variations: For Swiss potato soup, stir in 1-2 cups grated Swiss cheese after potatoes are tender. For chili potato soup, add 1 tsp. chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon oregano after potatoes are tender. For Hungarian potato soup, mix 1/4 cup flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika into a cup of sour cream. Stir into tender potatoes. Bring to a boil after adding milk, and cook one minute.

Potato dumplings

1 quart water

1 teaspoon salt

5 cups mashed potatoes

1 1/2 cups flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In saucepan, bring water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. In bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing until fluffy. Roll into 1 inch balls; drop into gently boiling water and cook about 7 minutes. Drain; serve warm with roast beef and gravy.

Potato pancakes

4 cups grated raw potatoes

1 onion, grated

3 eggs beaten

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients but the oil. Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom. Use a 1/4 cup measure to pour the batter into the skillet. Flatten a little, and fry until golden brown. Turn and fry other side. Serve warm.

Verlys Huntley is a master gardener and the president of the Albert Lea Farmers Market.