There's still time to plant Fall crops...

[Joanne98]

I know it seemed like forever for summer to finally get here, but it's already time to start thinking about planning for your fall crops. This is, of course, true whether you are growing heirlooms or hybrids, but I'd still like to take the time to mention it here. Sometimes heirloom people can get so caught up in history that we overlook the practical. This topic was addressed awhile back in Suite 101's Beginning Organic Gardening section in the article Fall Vegetable Gardening and that would be a good place to get an overview of the topic.

Planting for the fall is a little trickier than starting seeds for the spring. You'll be battling the heat and sometimes the day length. But if you can find a partially shaded spot to start a small seedling nursery, you'll be ready to fill in the gaps left in your vegetable garden after harvest.

Some plants can be directly seeded in succession throughout the summer. Bush beans, radishes, beets and even squash lend themselves to this. Other plants, like salad greens and spinach, may have succumbed to the struggle and will need to be restarted, either directly seeded, once the weather cools a bit, or started in containers in a protected area and transplanted when they are about 2-3 inches tall.

Cole crops, which take a bit longer to mature, should be started in containers and transplanted also. Many times cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli taste better when grown in the cooling temperatures of fall.

Fall gardening vegetables - a second harvest gives clear advice on when to start your seeds. For more tips on what and when to plant, check out Plant Your Fall Vegetable Garden Now! And several Extension services have excellent fact sheets on growing a fall harvest. Some good ones are: Fall Vegetable Gardening, from the Cooperative Extension of the University of Nebraska, Fall Vegetable Gardening from Virginia Cooperative Extension and Growing a Fall Vegetable Garden from the North Carolina State Extension Service.

For many of you, July and August may seem like time to sit back, relax and enjoy all the work you've already done in the garden, but if you can muster the energy to start a few more seeds, I'm sure you'll be glad you did.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegetable_gardening/74336

Just a reminder. As the economy gets worse, and the corporate food makes you sicker, you will be glad you did this..
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegetable_gardening/74336

[MountainLaurel]

1. Thank you for the reminder

Here in New Orleans, we can have 2 growing seasons. Unfortunately, the garden center ladies tell me it's too hot to plant veggies yet for the fall. But as soon as it cools down a bit, I'm planting tomatoes and peppers, probably beets and zucchini. And to help out, we bought a lemon tree, a tangerine tree, and blueberry bushes, all of which should be producing fruit within a couple years.

[Joanne98]

3. COOL!

:yourock:

[SpiralHawk]

2. Go for it: plant, plant, plant

Or at least grab a shovel, till your yard, and plant a cover crop (clover, vetch, etc.) so the soil is in some kind of condition for planting next spring.

In terms of farms and food, 2009 is going to make 2008 look like 'the good old days.'

[uppityperson]

4. Links to Gardening group and Rural/Farm forums....

Helpful info there also. We all hurt, but I worry mostly about people in cities without the ability or land to grow much. Good to plant whatever you have though.

gardening http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=246
rural/farm http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=268

[wildbilln864]

5. *kick. nt

[Blue Diadem]

6. Thanks for the info. This is the first year our garden isn't doing too well.

I think it's because we've been having large rainfalls instead of intermittent smaller amounts.

I may try a second fall garden.

[Javaman]

7. I think there should be a sustainability forum or one on peak oil preparedness.

This would fall into that category.