My days have been spent bringing in the storage crops before the frost hits. That means harvesting the mature winter squashes, popcorn, and dried beans (a new one this year).
A light frost can happen any day now, which is cold enough to turn basil into a black slimy mess. Here in Sonoma Valley, our first hard frost happens on average November 15th. Some years it has not shown up until Thanksgiving.
With the hard frost any summer crops that are still growing, like tomatoes will be killed off. This can also damage winter squash giving them soft spots that will not allow them to store for any length of time before rotting. When winter squashes are harvested properly they can store beautifully for 3 to 6 months. For best storage just keep them dry and out of direct sunlight. So good ahead and decorate your house with all the colorful winter squash and later on eat them up.
