"September is the month of
maturity; the heaped basket and the garnered
sheaf.
It is the month of climax and completion.
September! I never tire of turning it over and
over in my mind. It has warmth, depth and
colour. It glows like old amber." Patience
Strong (1907-1990)
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch:
Scattered storms (1) with tropical rain (2, 3,
4); fair and hot (5, 6) with more scattered
storms (7, 8). Fair and very warm (9, 10, 11,
12) with yet more storms (13, 14) turning fair
and warm (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21); periods
of more storms (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
turning fair and cooler (29, 30).
Full Moon: September’s Full Moon has
been famously-known as the Harvest Moon. It is
the Full Moon that falls closest to the
Autumnal Equinox. During this time, the moon
would rise soon after the sun would set on
several successive days, giving the farmer a
few extra hours of ‘light’ and more time to
finish up their daily chores. This year, the
Autumnal Equinox will occur on Monday,
September 23nd and signals the beginning of
Autumn. The Full Moon closest to that date
will occur on Friday, September 13th and is
therefore, the Harvest Mooof 2019.
Holidays: Labor Day falls on the
first Monday of the month which is September
2nd in 2019. We must never forget to remember
those who perished on September 11th, 2001 and
to also honor all of the brave
first-responders as well. These heroes ran
into danger, sacrificed their lives trying to
minimize the loss of life and the many who
suffer today with long-term life-threatening
health effects. And finally, they will now be
properly supported with the passage of the
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund that
commits funding through to 2090. Citizenship
Day is observed on Tuesday, September 17th,
Rosh Hashanah begins on Monday, September
30th.
The Garden: Fall is a great time to
plant and divide perennials and shrubs for
next year's garden. By planting in the fall,
your plants do not endure the stressful summer
heat during establishment and have time to
form sufficient root systems before the onset
of winter dormancy. Consider planting
cabbages, peas, fennel, cauliflower, lettuce,
Swiss chard, onions, leeks, Chinese peas, and
endive crops for late autumn harvest. Also,
try beets, turnips, spinach, radishes,
collards and broccoli. Other fast-growing
vegetables to consider are arugula and kale.
For the best flavor, pick green beans when
they are still thinner than a pencil. Pick
lettuce when the outer leaves are four to six
inches long. Pick tomatoes 5 to 8 days after
color has fully developed. Pick zucchini when
it is five to eight inches long.
The Farm: Best for planting root
crops (17, 18, 19); weeding and stirring the
soil (24, 25); planting above-ground crops (3,
4, 30); harvesting all crops (0, 11); the best
days for setting hens and incubators (6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23); the slaughtering and butchering
of meat (1, 2, 3, 4, 28, 29, 30);
transplanting (1, 2, 3, 4, 28, 30); the
weaning of all small animals and livestock (5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14); harvesting
and storing grains (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
27).
