August 29, 2011

Now is the time to keep it going--Fall planting

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Just because fall is near we don't have to give up the garden! Right now the bounty coming out of the garden may seem overwhelming. It's hard to figure out what to do with it--can it, freeze it, give it away? But with the first frosts the bounty will diminish and if you have new seeds germinated, the promise of the garden will continue.

If you're interested in growing fall and winter crops now is the time to get your plants started. August and early September is the best time to start beets, kale, Chinese cabbage, daikons, collards, rutabaga, turnips, and mustard greens. You can also continue to sow carrot, lettuce, cilantro, arugula, and radish successions. You might wait to sow spinach in mid-September, when cooler soil temperatures make germination easier, or you can shade your seeded rows to protect them from the sun. Bush snap beans can be started, but they may need to protect them from October frosts to get much of a harvest. It's too late for all but those in the Deep South or with extended frost-free falls to sow cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

At Siberian Kale