Garden Prep for The Fall

Time passes so quickly that weeks seem like days and months seem like weeks.Our six months here in Florida are about to end in four weeks. It is time to begin preparation for the fall. My vegetable garden is about done with some tomatoes and a few cauliflower remaining in the ground. As for the tomatoes we do not have enough use for the abundant crop this year. I credit building a clear plastic over the entire garden for its success. It protected itself against the few frosty nights and the direct sun on the extremely hot days. Our nine tomatoe plants gave us just over 500 tomatoes. They produced over a time span of 5 months and still have about 50 little ones on the vine. This year the product was much smaller in size but sweet and firm..We were able to supply our friends and neighbours with good tasting fruit. Florida tomatoes are horrible in taste but look good.
Today I roto tilled the garden leaving the few lonely plants to complete their job and I will repeat this job three more times before covering for the summer. I try to get every weed no matter how small out of the soil.When I cover the garden I first lay black plastic, next layer is cardboard and top layer is clear plastic. The cover provides a heated bed of soil capable of killing weed seeds and preventing plant growth during the summer. One year I never did this and when I returned there was  a small forest of weeds, some ten feet high.
Since I have to have everything ready well before departure day I start early. Every palm tree has to be fertilized and the citrus has to have special treatment to ensure good fruit. It looks as if our oranges will be very good as they already have a good start.
It is exciting to work in the garden and see the yearly growth in the trees and plants we grew from very small settings. As much as I am here and doing what has to be done my mind is already thinking of my vegetation at home. I will miss the daffidols and some of the tulips but pretty well be in time for the other flowers and planting of the annuals.
Every year Theresa ans I say we will cut back but it seems that I am unable to walk by an open piece of ground without seeing in my inward eye some juicy vegetable or beautiful flower. Well this year I promised to make an effort to reform and slow down and I am sure I will, at least try.