THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-September 2026
- theoptimisticfarme
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
2026 September Edition
Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada
Well, last year at this time we were wondering what to do with all the peaches, this year we are glad we have some still in the freezer for a fall peach pie! One late frost in May and all hope of fall fruit diminished!! Now that the sadness of no peaches is finally starting to wane, it is on to what did grow and what surprises may await! It is true, the 'ber' months are starting, and Septem'ber' marks the end of summer so now, is as good as time as any, to do a quick assessment of how things turned out. Stay tuned because later in this edition we do a deep dive into assessment!
News from the Garden
September is the month we take stock of the situation! Plants are definitely ready for harvest, the visions of clean up and preservation begin to emerge. What worked well, what was a dud? Every season presents its oddities and wonder, take notes, take pictures, and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
Innovations and Ideas
Sometimes it is the simplest things that we reach for most often when gardening, pruners, scissors, a ball of twine, the ever-useful duct tape, all innovative ideas in their own right! With vines needing support, plants needing harvested and pruned, flower beds needing cleaned, and compost needing turned, it is handy to have the simple basics in your toolbox. So, take stock in what tools you have, what you might need and look for sales, because next spring comes sooner than you think!
Inner Work
Listening is a skill that is often not used as much as it could be used! September is a great time to use nature to sharpen your listening skills! So take out the ear buds, turn off Alexa, and the speakers, instead sit quietly in your yard or garden, maybe take a walk to a local park, or up in the hills and just listen! This can be done day and night and can be helpful to personal wellbeing!
Plants in Science: Assessment
Assessment is the act of taking stock of where you are and the conditions, then identify areas for improvement. Using data, experience, measurements, notes, results, that you have gathered recently and especially over time, make your assessments more valuable.
As a gardener it is this time of year that you chuckle at the old adage: Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans! The assessments you made in the spring may not have panned out as planned, but hopefully there were enough fun surprises and lessons learned to keep you somewhat interested! It is never too early to start dreaming about the next gardening season! What to do with all the information you have gathered? Use it to make more informed assessments, identify areas for improvement, then evaluate it all again, kind of like the circle of life.
As a way of life, the season never really ends, but the wind down for this year is looming.
So, what better time to do some assessing? Assess the landscape, the natural layout, drainage, sun exposure, take note of what worked well and what is an opportunity! Most of the fun comes with the surprise, however you can use your landscape, soil, zone, to your advantage, so assessing what you have to work with is important.
Last, but Not Least: Winter Predictions
This is the time of year where predictions of winter start making their way through the grapevine! You may hear in the grocery line, “it’s supposed to be a wet winter!” or “according to the Farmer's Almanac, prepare for snow”, anyway you get the point, but can anyone or anything truly predict the weather?
Introducing the woolly bear caterpillar, legends say the woolly bear caterpillar can provide indicators that help predict the winter! Is the caterpillar mostly black? Prepare for a harsh winter! Mostly brown and legend says the winter will be mild, evenly black and brown winter will be so-so!! Folklore in some circles says the behavior of certain birds, bees, squirrels, and beavers can also indicate the severity of the coming winter! Then there is the way of the Smart Rock, put a rock outside, if it is wet, it is raining! If it is hot, it is sunny, anyway you get the idea! Not sure any system has mastered the preditions of weather, but pay attention to indicators and always prepare for changes in the weather, as they can happen quickly in this neck of the woods.
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