Plant Now For Fall & Winter Gardens!
Strange as it may seem, this is the time to plant your fall and winter gardens. I know, I know, just as you are ready to chill and watch the gardens grow, watch the kids play, go on holidays...
However, this really is the time, esp during this next week!
You can plant quite a lot of things till early August, but if you wait to plant in September, when life is calmer, kids are back to school, etc... you will have very little options open to you as far as fall and winter veggies go.
By the way, this is also a terrific time to plant some new crops in place of your already harvested vegetables, like the garlic, or the lettuce and radishes that went to seed in the heat and drought!
So, question is... what to plant?
What to plant NOW (from seed) .... Plant these before mid-month! ... for harvest in late summer and early fall.
- Carrots
- Beets
- Rutabaga's
- Kohlrabi
- Greens like endives and raddichio
- Cucumbers
- Beans
- Zucchini
- Cilantro (keep sowing!)
What to plant NOW (from seed) .... Plant these before mid-month!... for harvest in late winter and early spring.
- Carrots
- Sprouting purple Broccoli's, Broccolini, Broccoli Raab, Romanesco Broccoli
- Rutabaga
- Kohlrabi
- Winter Cabbage
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Winter Cauliflower (Galleon, Aalsmeer, Purple Cape)
- Parsley
How to Plant!
Going on holidays in the next two weeks? Do not plant a winter garden! Better to forgo all thoughts of winter gardening... You will lose everything, the time and money and seeds.
Why? Because you need to sow the seeds now and then keep them moist till they germinate.
Newly planted seeds will need to be watered daily to keep them from drying out.
You can decrease some of the worry and the work, by covering the newly planted seeds for one week, with shade cloth, Reemay cloth, or burlap ... but you still need to be present to water, as needed.
If you have little to no luck growing carrots, it is likely due to not keeping the seeds and ground moist enough, deep enough for long enough. Carrots will germinate very unevenly, over a period of several weeks ... so water daily till you see the tops coming up, then decrease to ever second or third day. Again, covering them for the first week helps to retain moisture.
Some veggies are better off started in flats or pots or 6 packs as it is much easier to maintain them in small pots than trying to keep garden beds soaked till germination occurs.
Start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions and kale in flats, pots or 6 packs. You can also start lettuce, greens, and more (everything except root crops!) in flats, too.
What to plant at the end of July thru early August ... for harvest in late summer and fall.
- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Scallions
- Chinese greens like Gai Lan, Bok Choy, etc..
- Arugula
- Kale
- Peas
- More Cilantro
Plant in July/August ... for harvest in winter and next spring!
- Onions (walla walla)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Scallions
However, this really is the time, esp during this next week!
You can plant quite a lot of things till early August, but if you wait to plant in September, when life is calmer, kids are back to school, etc... you will have very little options open to you as far as fall and winter veggies go.
By the way, this is also a terrific time to plant some new crops in place of your already harvested vegetables, like the garlic, or the lettuce and radishes that went to seed in the heat and drought!
So, question is... what to plant?
A variety of beets...
What to plant NOW (from seed) .... Plant these before mid-month! ... for harvest in late summer and early fall.
- Carrots
- Beets
- Rutabaga's
- Kohlrabi
- Greens like endives and raddichio
- Cucumbers
- Beans
- Zucchini
- Cilantro (keep sowing!)
Brussels Sprouts in December
What to plant NOW (from seed) .... Plant these before mid-month!... for harvest in late winter and early spring.
- Carrots
- Sprouting purple Broccoli's, Broccolini, Broccoli Raab, Romanesco Broccoli
- Rutabaga
- Kohlrabi
- Winter Cabbage
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Winter Cauliflower (Galleon, Aalsmeer, Purple Cape)
- Parsley
How to Plant!
Going on holidays in the next two weeks? Do not plant a winter garden! Better to forgo all thoughts of winter gardening... You will lose everything, the time and money and seeds.
Why? Because you need to sow the seeds now and then keep them moist till they germinate.
Newly planted seeds will need to be watered daily to keep them from drying out.
You can decrease some of the worry and the work, by covering the newly planted seeds for one week, with shade cloth, Reemay cloth, or burlap ... but you still need to be present to water, as needed.
If you have little to no luck growing carrots, it is likely due to not keeping the seeds and ground moist enough, deep enough for long enough. Carrots will germinate very unevenly, over a period of several weeks ... so water daily till you see the tops coming up, then decrease to ever second or third day. Again, covering them for the first week helps to retain moisture.
Some veggies are better off started in flats or pots or 6 packs as it is much easier to maintain them in small pots than trying to keep garden beds soaked till germination occurs.
Start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions and kale in flats, pots or 6 packs. You can also start lettuce, greens, and more (everything except root crops!) in flats, too.
What to plant at the end of July thru early August ... for harvest in late summer and fall.
- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Scallions
- Chinese greens like Gai Lan, Bok Choy, etc..
- Arugula
- Kale
- Peas
- More Cilantro
Plant in July/August ... for harvest in winter and next spring!
- Onions (walla walla)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Scallions
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