Clarence Booker
Hands splitting dried bean pods onto a bamboo tray

September 13, 2026 · 4 min

Drying beans on the vine

Leaving the last pods to dry for seed.

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  1. The tomato bed

    Deep planting, tall cages and a thick mulch from May on.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. The tomato bed, September: Saving seed from the best tomato
    10. Oct
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    12. Dec

  2. The bean and pea bed

    Peas in March, beans in May and seed saved in the autumn.

    1. Jan
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    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
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    8. Aug
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    12. Dec

  3. The greens bed

    Spinach, collards and kale cut at a comfortable height.

    1. Jan
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  4. The root bed

    Carrots, beets and sweet potatoes in a deep, loose bed.

    1. Jan
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    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec

  5. The squash bed

    A raised hill, a bottle of water and plenty of room to run.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. The squash bed, September: Curing squash for winter
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec
A basket of long beans, eggplants and bitter melon on a stool

The squash bed · September 2026

Curing squash for winter

A hard skin, a dry shelf and a few weeks of patience.