Dog Days
The dog days of summer are upon us and you might be thinking, “You are crazy if you’re thinking about fall planting…I’m over here sitting on an AC vent!” To that I say, “Remember when you were sitting on the vent for warmth back in January while planning your garden?” :) August is the time to be planning and starting seedlings for fall plants. Here are some tips to help your fall garden succeed!
Tip # 1 - Pick the right crops. Cool weather crops can last through winter if you choose the right ones! Some common fall crops are leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, swiss chard, etc and root vegetables such as beets, radishes, carrots, etc. These crops also taste better in the cooler weather!
Tip # 2 - Add nutrients to soil. Most likely by now you’ve been growing and harvesting some heavy feeders…tomatoes, peppers, corn possibly. In order to have a bountiful fall harvest, you’ll want to add some nutrients back into the soil. Before planting your fall crops, throw in some compost to replenish your soil. Some gardeners might even do a quick cover crop in places where they will be planting fall crops. I typically go the compost route myself.
Tip # 3 - Mulch. I recommended mulching back in the spring to help retain moisture. This is super important during the transition from summer to fall as well. By mulching, not only are you protecting the soil but also continuing to keep much needed moisture in the soil for your plants’ roots.
Tip # 4 - Covers. Pests are still a big issue in fall. One way to protect your fall crops is with covers. Covers can be used to prevent pests, protect from the heat of the sun, and protect from frost. In August it’s important to protect your plants from pests and mid-day summer heat. A shade cloth, making sure the netting is tightly woven to keep pests out, is the best option to start with, then transitioning to frost cloth once your first frost date approaches.
Tip # 5 - Succession planting. Fall crops are some of the easiest and best to succession plant! Succession planting is continuing to plant crops after you have harvested the initial plant. Spinach, lettuce, arugula, radishes, etc. are common fall plants to succession plant in order to keep a good supply throughout fall. If you’re just starting out with succession planting, choose 2-3 crops to practice with and next season you can add more crops to succession plant. Choosing just a few to start with will help to diminish overwhelm.
One thing to note is you can have late summer crops as well as a second planting of tomatoes, corn, peppers, beans, etc. Again this takes some planning but once planned, you can use those dates over and over again.
I know you might be worn out from the heat of the summer, but I promise you if you plan for your fall garden now, you’ll be ever so grateful to head out to the garden in the cooler weather! You can even harvest some greens for the holiday feasts!
As a garden coach, I often come across people who think you can only have a summer harvest. I am working on educating people that here in SC we can harvest something year round!
Next month I’ll be blogging about the choice between fall planting or implementing a cover crop. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
