When your garden is overgrown with tropical crops such as tomatoes and zucchini, you may not think of falling vegetables. But in fact, mid-summer is the best time to harvest vegetables for the second round. Fallen gardens may be as numerous as those planted in spring and early summer. In warmer climates, there is a second crop of heat-loving crops, such as beans. In colder climates, many short-term crops, such as radish, broccoli, and most greens, can be planted from mid-summer to mid-summer. And if you only have a porch or deck, some vegetables, such as lettuce or Swiss chard, can be grown in pots and window boxes. Combine a beautiful, edible container mix with vintage flowers such as pansies and chrysanthemums.
Here you need to know how to plant a spring garden. Grab your best garden shoes and garden gloves and start digging!
Do not wait too long.
The biggest mistake that gardeners make is to wait too long to plant autumn crops. Sow seeds in the summer heat (it is difficult to get transplants this year), but your plants need enough time to germinate before frost. Read the packages to learn the “days to maturity” that tell you how much time it takes to grow certain crops. Then check with your local University Extension Service (find yours here) to get an average first snow day for your area. Count back from that date to find out the latest date you can be planted. For example, if your average frost is October 15, and you want to plant a salad, most will ripen in 30 days so the latest date for planting is September 15, remember, snow days are average. Sometimes, it is earlier or later than you expected. Nature loves to keep us on our toes!
Pull out the summer crops.
If everything in your garden is healthy and productive, leave it alone. But some vegetables go above and beyond. If your tomatoes fall into a few brown leaves and flowers, but you do not have ripe fruit, remove them (pick any green tomatoes and let them ripen from the vine). Summer squash is probably shrinking. Also, get rid of bugs or diseases all season long, no better! Leave the cool season crops like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to complete ripening.
Plant fast-growing crops.
The fastest crops you can plant include beans, prunes and radish ready in 25 days, and a ready-made salad in a month. Other fast-growing greens include spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, collars, and kale. In fact, most types of collars and fibers last until they are strong. Some maize varieties survive the winter and turn green again next spring, so do not be too eager to release your plants at the end of the growing season when you are clearing.
You will still need to water and prune your fall garden.
Harvest has many hot and dry days, so be sure to water it if it hasn’t rained for a week or more. Both seeds and transplants need constant moisture to help them survive. Greens prefer to be wet, especially before and after germination. Do not delay in weeding as weeds compete with the plants they need for moisture and nutrients. Bottom line: Yank is like weeds that you see right away so you don’t get out of control.
Start early next spring.
Some crops, such as garlic, should be planted now for spring and summer. Strong garlic sprouts long stems or bark in the spring, and you can collect the bulbs before they are ready in mid-summer. Softneck types are more suitable for hot climates. In any case, separate the branches and place the index finger at a distance of 6 inches and a few inches deep. They can grow, but the crop will not be ready until next spring. Or plant perennials, such as thyme, chives, sage, and oregano, that grow year after year.
Add some fertilizer.
Fall is a good time to dress your garden with a healthy fertilizer layer. Remember that fertilizer does not provide all the nutrients your garden needs, but it does improve soil structure and increase the number of beneficial microorganisms in the garden. And if you don’t start a compost bin, start a pile behind your shelf, choose a DIY lightweight container, or choose one at a hardware store. There is no point in wasting all those precious garden and kitchen pieces when you can make fertilizer free.
Write a few garden notes.
Write a few comments about what you planted and when, as well as what it did well and what it lacked. It is very helpful to remember what you want to replant and what is not worth your time. When it’s time to replant next spring, you can put seed labels and tags in your notebook so you can have this information on hand.
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