Last year, this time we had collard greens that looked like the one in this photo. We donated to the Annual Thanksgiving Dinner at 111 West Street. We will not be able to do the same this year because our cold crop growing season was seriously shortened by, shall we say, climate change. Regardless of how one feels about the issue, down here on the ground where things are growing or not growing, we witness the difference. As a result of the seriously hot and dry weather as compared to the cold crop season of 2014, our growing season was shortened. There will not be any giant collard greens to donate this year. The large greens in the Louie Bacoat Historic Community Garden were planted early summer and somehow survived the hot summer months. The few families that have these greens will no doubt use them in their own Holiday meals.
It was a long, very hot and very dry summer. Weather researchers say that it was one of the hottest and driest summers in 90 years. We purchased 2 flats of collard greens. My friend planted hers right away. I did not. It was clear that the plants were being attacked by cabbage worms and it was too hot to plant them out in the open garden. I kept them in partial shade and hand picked the worms off. I used a safe homemade insecticide. I pampered them until the prolonged hot spell was forecast as coming to an inevitable end. The greens in the photos below can be eaten, but it would mean picking before their time. They are barely infants with the small number of leaves.
What my farming Dad referred to as an "Indian Summer" or unusually warm weather into December could change that, but dare we wish for it?
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