I'm not sure where to put this... Recommendations?

[ShellieESterling]

I have no idea where I should post this thread, where it would get the sort of traffic I'm hoping for. Hopefully, this will be a decent section... okay, here goes.

Firstly, I have no idea what zone I'm in Sorry. I'm in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

We are moving into the new farmhouse sometime this month and I want to get my garden planted as soon as I get in there. I'd like to know if anyone has recommendations on what I can still plant and be able to can for the winter. Since it's the middle of June already, I'm not sure if I have enough time to get a decent harvest.

Obviously, this farming/homesteading goal is new to me. We've always lived in town and only had small backyard gardens with things like tomatoes and peas. Any help would be appreciated.
I'd like to can some veggies and make some pasta sauces too..

 

[patandchickens]

Tomatoes, if you buy them as healthy transplants from the store. Buy them NOW (while they are still available and healthy!) and pot them into pots as large as you can find, and keep 'em well-watered and happy til you take possession and can plant them in the ground. (In principle the same is true of peppers and eggplants but since you may have some trouble getting them to ripen well in NE PA you might want to give 'em a pass this year)

Beans.

Also, in late July or early August you can start planting several succcessions of lettuce in cell paks or whatever, in a semi-shady cool location (keep well watered!). (I know you can't can or freeze lettuce but you can EAT it ) Either grow the first lot in the ground a location with afternoon shade, or grow it in plastic windowbox containers that you can move around the yard depending on the weather, to keep 'em cool. Later plantings can go into the ground.

Since this is new to you, and also involves a move, I would strongly suggest sticking with just those few things this year. You can buy more stuff at farmers markets or along the road, and can or freeze all that.

Plant rhubarb this fall and mulch it real well once the ground freezes... you won't be able to harvest much for a couple years but this will get it started as quickly as possible.

Good luck and have fun,

Pat

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

There are a few tomato varieties that would still be able to do well for your situation.

First Pick is a French heirloom variety that can set fruits in cool weather. It takes about 60 days for maturity, so if you get the seeds asap and start indoors you should be good to go, if you can find plants then even better! Great tomato in my opinion.

Swiss Alpine is another variety that can set in cool weather it does take a little longer to reach maturity though.

Manitoba is a more common early variety that can set fruit in cooler, shorter growing seasons and is a good all purpose tomato.

Pat makes a really good point, you probably would feel very overwhelmed trying to everything in the ground and caring for it before your frost hits, AND trying to move in and get situated. I'd also recommend to start small with a few plants. Amend, plan and fix where your garden site will be and maybe plant a nice fall cropping of lettuce, spinach, peas, cabbages, broccoli and other brassicas and see how that goes. This will also give you time to figure out how your land changes with time.

 

[Tutter]

And to follow OaklandCityFarmer's train of thought, if you like collards, or kale, please put them in late summer/early fall, too. (I'm sorry, not sure when to plant in your area, but it should say on the seed packs.)

If you plant a bed of greens, you should be able to pick them fresh to use all winter....I think. We do.....

I use the "cut and come again" method, taking just a leaf or 2 off each plant until I have what I need for a meal, rather than cutting the whole plant. Once it warms in spring, you can cut them before they go to seed.

There are a lot of uses for them. As a pot vegetable; sauteed with olive oil and garlic; in stir fries and fried rice; sauteed with onions and used in scrambled eggs; in soups etc. For most uses I use the leaves, sans center rib. And often chiffonade then cross cut for things like fried rice and soup.

Did anyone say garlic? Fall's the time to plant it for harvesting next year!

For your pasta sauce, you can buy starts of herbs. Italian spice is essentially rosemary (pinch the leaves of a plant you want to buy, and don't get it until you find one you love...they really vary.), basil, summer savory, sage, oregano, majoram and thyme. The same warning goes for oregano, smell a pinched leaf until you find the one that says "pizza!" to you!

You can use them fresh through the season is sauces, on chicken, in soups, on pizza, and to make pesto etc. Then as the season draws to a close, take the ones which won't keep for next year, and either dry or freeze.

For example, you can take your basil, and make pesto, then freeze in ice cubes trays for use all winter.

Good luck, and congratulations on the move!

 

[ShellieESterling]

Thanks so much for all the replies guys

Tutter, I'm in PA... anything that can't survive a snowfall in October won't be making it for harvesting all winter. Although, dh says he'll build me a greenhouse right next to the house with big florescent lighting if I really want it. Maybe that will extend my growing season a bit. I'm sure I can smuggle a table and a worklight into the family room and grow some herbs there.
And thanks for the congrats We're REALLY excited.

 

[Beekissed]

Now, might I suggest, since you are new to this whole homesteading thing....treat yourself to a subscription to Countryside magazine! You won't be sorry and you will await breathlessly for each issue. I have lived in the country all my life and can still learn several new things about country living and self-sustenance in each issue! Congrats on the new place!!

 

[bills]

I'm not sure where to put this... Recommendations?

It's a good thing we are all a polite bunch on this forum, with an opening like that..

You must be so excited moving to the new place. You will probably find, as I did, that there are "only" around a million things you'll want to do when you first get there.

As mentioned by Pat, I would start small on the garden this year. You could spend some time getting the garden area in order for next spring, so your all ready. Plan out the bed area, build a compost box, do any needed fencing, (if deer or bunnies are in the area). Perhaps have the soil tested so you can balance the PH over the winter. You could sew a cover crop to dig in, to add humus if needed.

This will give you more time to build the chicken coop, fix fences, paint, clean gutters, prune trees, kill moss, kill weeds, pick out a lawn tractor, fix the roof, build a wood shed and gather up a firewood supply, get your canning jars, and canner, etc., etc., etc..

I have been busier since I retired to the homestead, then I ever was working...