The days are getting shorter; eventually, it will be cool enough to plant tulips in your gardens. Tulips need several weeks to chill in the ground before they even root, so set your tulips out in their beds four inches apart when nighttime temperatures are below 50. Most of us can plant tulips between the 1st of November and the 1st of December, allowing plenty of time for the bulbs to chill. Then set roots later in the season for approximately four weeks in nice chilly weather starting in January or February, providing you with beautiful blooms around April, depending on your gardening zone.

Here at Moonstruck Farms, we are battling the hot weather again as I write this, but this means that the last round of lilies and sunflowers are growing quickly and should provide beautiful blooms during our Fall season well before our first frost…I hope. In addition, we have not had a gorgeous cosmos crop in two years, so I planted a Fall crop, hoping to take advantage of our moderate Fall temperatures, and enjoy some blooms in oranges and yellows to pair with our mums that will be blooming along with them. The last of the tomatoes are coming in for sale at the market, and plenty are going into the freezer and dehydrator for additional products at the market. Our Mulled Wine/Cider kits are prepped and ready for the cooler weather bound to come eventually, and our cornucopias are slowly being created with edible winter squashes, gourds, ornamental corn, and mini pumpkins. Watch for us at the local farmers markets. We have a few new products lined up for us all to enjoy during the Autumn season.

Keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook for hour changes coming to the local farmers markets soon. We are already beginning to lose the light, and adjustments will be made, which will be announced on social media and next month’s article. Currently, you can find the Phelan Farmers Market every Monday from 2 pm to 6 pm at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan and the Wrightwood Farmers Market from 4 pm to 7 pm every Friday in the Wrightwood Community Center parking lot. The Phelan Farmers Market will close at 5 pm with the time change the first week in November.