Summer's end

I hope it stays warm for the next month but I have my doubts.  I've got at least three big squashes at the allotment plus another one at home;  there are also an undetermined number of smaller ones--all at the allotment--and I want them all to ripen!  Also on the ripening wish list is my corn:  some stalks still have cobs just starting to emerge, and they'll need all the light and warmth they can get.

Surprisingly, I'm still getting a regular harvest of pickling cucumbers;  twice a week all summer and no sign of stopping just yet, though I think they hit their peak in mid-August.  I have so many jars of pickles now, both fermented and vinegar brined.  I had to rearrange my fridge to fit them all and despite that I still have two large jars on my counter;  the bigger of these jars is absorbing all the newest harvest, to ferment for winter--it's got a mix of all different kinds of veg, whenever I have a small harvest that isn't worth dehydrating:  kohl rabi, cucumber, French beans, etc.

I made a second sowing in June of some old cucumber seed;  it was either sow it or throw it and I was again surprised that several sprouted.  Now two of these plants have been producing little cucs:  they are meant to be a mid-sized eating variety, but so far none have been much bigger than the pickling cucs.  Tasty though:  a nice pale yellow variety.  Incidently, I found an over-large, over-ripe pickling cuc that I somehow missed in time and have left it growing in the hopes of next year's seeds.  The yellow cuc variety was from my own saved seed too though I don't know if I'll be able to save any from it again this year.

I made an executive decision to hold off pulling out the allotment tomatoes in the hopes I'll get some more red ones before they blacken--so far so good, although I've picked only a handful so far.  They still look pretty healthy actually, though the cherry toms are goners.

And in other news, I've got two kinds of radishes sprouting up;  the daughter and I sowed two rows of daikon radish after the cabbages all came out, and we broadcast black radish and spring onion seed over the zuc bed after I pulled up most of those last week.  I still have a couple zuc plants at home and the allotment but they nearly are at the end now.