ON OUR WEBSITE.
>> WELL, WITH THE FIRST REAL
FROST OF THE SEASON JUST AROUND
THE CORNER IT'S TIME TO PUT OUR
GARDENS TO BED AND THAT, OF
COURSE, INCLUDING OUR WTTW
GARDEN.
HERE NOW AS ALWAYS TO GUIDE US
THROUGH THE PROCESS IS THE
ORGANIC GARDENER JEANNE NOLAN.
OK, LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE
FROST REAL FROST SOONER RATHER
THAN LATER.
GENERALLY SPEAKING WHAT DO YOU
DO IN YOUR GARDEN?
>> WELL, FIRST I HARVEST.
AND I PICK EVERYTHING THAT I
CAN.
AND FIND A WAY TO STORE IT SO IT
WILL LAST.
AND THEN I START PULLING THE
PLANTS OUT AND PUTTING THEM IN
THE COMPOST.
AND THEN I START THINKING ABOUT
NEXT YEAR.
>> SO HOW MUCH PLANNING DO YOU
DO OVER THE WINTER?
>> OH, A TON.
ALONG WITH THE TEAM OF PEOPLE AT
OUR COMPANY.
WE DO A LOT OF PLANNING.
EVERY GARDEN WE DO IS DRAWN OUT
AND THERE IS A PLAN BECAUSE THE
CROPS NEED TO BE MOVED.
THE LOCATION OF WHERE THEY ARE
PLANTED IN THE GARDEN AND IT IS
A LOT OF FUN.
>> JEANNE NOLAN AND I WERE OUT
IN THE WTTW GARDEN TODAY TO
CHECK ON THE COLD FRAME AND
PLANT OUR FINAL CROP OF THE
SEASON.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS IT
LOOKS LIKE A CLUMP OF WEEDS.
BUT IT ISN'T.
>> IT'S NOT.
IT IS KNOWN AS GREEN MANURE.
OR A COVER CROP.
THIS IS A WAY TO FEED OUR SOIL.
A VERY NATURAL, HEALTHY ORGANIC
WAY TO ADD NUTRIENTS IN THE
SOIL.
WE WERE GROWING THREE CROPS.
WINTER RYE, PEAS AND SOMETHING
CALLED HARRY VICH A LEG GUM THAT
FIXE NITROGEN IN THE SOIL.
>> ARE ANY OF THESE EDIBLE?
>> NOT REALLY.
IN THE SPRING WE WILL CHOP THEM
UP AND MIX THEM INTO THE SOIL
AND THEY WILL DECOMPOSE AND ADD
TO THE SOIL.
>> IT LOOKS A LITTLE WEEDY?
>> THIS IS HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO
LOOK.
>> IT'S SERVING A PURPOSE.
>> IT IS.
>> WHAT DO WE HAVE UNDER THIS
COVER?
>> THIS IS OUR COLD FRAME OUR
MINI GREENHOUSE.
AND THE PLANTS THAT YOU SEE WERE
TRANSPLANTED FROM OTHER PARTS IN
THE GARDEN INTO HERE.
SO WE PUT OUR HERBS IN HERE.
SOME SPINACH AND CHARRED.
SOME SCALLIONS AND TODAY WE WILL
DO MORE PLANTING IN HERE.
WE ARE PLANTING SPINACH IT IS
THE MOST COLD HARDY.
>> I DO NOT THINK OF
TRANSPLANTING SOMETHING IN EARLY
NOVEMBER.
BUT IT IS OK WHEN YOU --
IN THIS SITUATION IT IS.
AND IT BUYS US A LITTLE TIME.
WE GET TO USE THE PLANTS A
LITTLE BIT LONGER.
>> AND THEY WILL BE PRODUCTIVE
DOWN THE ROAD?
>> THEY WILL.
THEY WILL.
AND IN THE SPRING, AGAIN, WE'LL
USE THIS FOR A FRESH CROP OF
EARLY GREENS.
>> AS I LOOK AT THE COVER IT
LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT
SOMEBODY WHO IS SOMEWHAT HANDY
COULD PUT TOGETHER.
BUT IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO CAN
YOU BUY THESE?
>> YOU CAN BUY THEM.
EASY TO MAKE AND THEY ARE
COMMON.
CALLED A COLD FRAME.
>> A COLD FRAME.
GOT IT.
LET'S MOVE ON BECAUSE YOU ARE
PLANTING OTHER THINGS.
>> SO THE LAST HOORAH, THE FINAL
CROP THAT WE PLANT HERE IN
CHICAGO IS GARLIC.
AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY BULBS OF
GARLIC THAT I GREW AT MY HOME
LAST YEAR PLANTED THEM THIS TIME
AND HARVESTED THEM IN THE
SUMMER.
ORGANIC GARLIC AND NOW WE ARE
BREAKING THEM INTO INDIVIDUAL
CLOVES AND PLANTING THEM.
>> COULD I GO TO THE STORE AND
BUY SOME?
>> IF IT'S CERTIFIED ORGANIC YOU
CAN.
>> IF NOT?
>> THERE IS A CHANCE THAT IT'S
BEEN TREATED WITH SOMETHING TO
KEEP IT FROM SPROUTING.
SO THIS BEGAN AS SEED GARLIC
THAT WE PURCHASED WHICH IS
VETTED CLOVES THAT WE PLANT AND
EVERY SIX INCHES APART AND YOU
PUT THEM IN PRETTY DEEP.
WE ARE GOING TO REALLY PUSH THEM
IN.
PUSH IT IN AS DEEP AS YOU CAN.
AND THREE, FOUR INCHES AND COVER
THEM UP AND RIGHT DOWN THE LINE
AND PUT THEM IN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I WANT TO
ASK YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE
TOMATO PLANT.
WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON?
AND WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR
THIS TOMATO PLANT THAT HAS BEEN
WONDERFULLY GIVING.
>> SO GENEROUS.
IT HAS BEEN.
WELL, OUR GARDEN HAS BEEN KISSED
BY A LIGHT FROST AT THIS POINT.
YOU CAN SEE.
AND THIS WEEK WE ARE DEFINITELY
GETTING A HARD FROST IT'S OVER.
SO IT IS TIME TO PULL ANYTHING
EDIBLE OFF OF HERE.
AND WE WILL BE PUTTING THIS
GARDEN TO BED.
>> AND WHEN YOU SAY PUTTING TO
BED WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> WE WILL BE REMOVING THE
PLANTS AND PUTTING THEM IN OUR
COMPOST CUTTING THEM UP AND
RECYCLING THEM.
AND RAKING IT SMOOTH AND THE
IRRIGATION HAS BEEN TURNED OFF.
AND IT'S DONE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU JUST LAZY
THIS FALL AND YOU LEAVE IT UP?
>> IF YOU LEAVE IT UP.
NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
THE MICRO ORGANISMS IN THE SOIL
ARE HAPPY AND FEEDING ON THE
ROOTS AND IN THE SPRING YOU WILL
DEAL WITH IT.
>> CLEAN IT UP IN THE SPRING TO
MAKE ROOM?
>> I LIKE TO STORE THE GAUGES
INDOORS BECAUSE THEY RUST.
AND I PREFER THAT THEY BE LAST A
LONGTIME AND LOOK GOOD, I LIKE
TO GET ALL THE SUPPORTS IN.
>> LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH
THE FRUIT AT THE BOTTOM.
DO YOU EVER SCAFF SCAFF SCAVANGE
IT?
>> I DO.
IF NOBODY ELSE HAS EATEN IT THEN
IT'S MINE.
>> HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE
GROWING SEASON.
>> GOOD, NOT GREAT.
>> WHY WAS IT NOT GREAT?
>> MOTHER NATURE IS IN CONTROL
AND THE WEATHER THREW CHALLENGES
OUR WAY.
SOME PEOPLE THEIR GARDENS DID
WELL.
BUT IN OTHER GARDENS, IT WAS A
LITTLE DISAPPOINTING AS FAR AS
PRODUCTIVITY OF CERTAIN CROPS.
>> WHAT DID THE BEST?
>> GOOD QUESTION.
OUR EARLY SPRING CROPS WERE
GREAT.
WE DID NOT REALLY SEE TROUBLE
UNTIL EARLY AUGUST HALFWAY
THROUGH AUGUST AND WHERE IS THE
HEAT?
WHERE IS THE SUMMER?
WHERE IS THE WEATHER?
BUT UP UNTIL THEN IT WAS GOOD.
>> AND TRENDS FOR NEXT YEAR?
>> GROW YOUR OWN FOOD MOVEMENT
IS ON A ROLL HERE.