Time For Fall Planting!

By: Ron Cusano                       Sept 5, 2008                              Vol. 1  Article 1002

     Labor Day is just past, leaves are starting to fall from the tree’s, the kids are back to school and you can picture Winter in your not to distant future.  Burrrrr!  Time to pack in the garden for the season?  Not so fast!

     The Best Is Yet To Come! In many areas of the country, you still have 2 or three months of prime gardening weather ahead. Now is the time to get in a Fall crop of cool weather loving veggies, such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, early cabbage, kale, bok choy, carrots, radish’s,  and even another planting of bush beans.  Herbs such as basil & parsley that may have slowed down during the hot dog days of Summer, will find new vigor during the cooler days ahead.  So as your tomatoes, melons and sweet corn are producing at their peak, as you are canning, freezing or storing your bounty away for Winter, start thinking about replanting for a second crop. Remove undecayed mulch from your beds, and loosen the soil by turning it over or lightly tilling.

    Don’t forget to give the soil a boost! Your Summer crops have taken their share of nutrients, and you will need to give your soil some needed amendments to insure good results. Add some blood or feather meal to replace the nitrogen used, especially where you may have planted heavy nitrogen feeders, such as sweet corn.  Turn in some of that compost that you have been making for the past few months, even if it’s not completely decayed.

     Once the Fall crop seed has germinated, don’t replace the mulch just yet.  The exposed soil will retain the sun’s warmth for better growth right now. As the day’s grow shorter and temps dip into the 50’s or 60’s, replace that mulch layer to help retain and even out the soil temperature. When early frost is predicted, sprinkle a light layer of hay, straw or dried grass clippings over Fall crops, which will protect them and keep them growing.  As the days grow colder, row covers can extend the growing season for many weeks or even longer in most areas.

   This is a great time to be out in the garden, with comfortable temperatures, and the sights and smells of Fall.  When doing Fall planting and harvesting, it’s a good time to start your end of the season clean up, and making plans to put your garden to “rest” for the coming long Winter months.

Blessings,

Ron
“The Garden Guy”