Dear Frank,
Summer means a time to kick back with a cool glass of lemonade, and the chance to enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor. But that doesn't mean the growing season is over: you may want to start some new plants right now that you can harvest and enjoy in the fall, too.
There are numerous semi-hardy and hardy vegetables that can withstand light frosts and hard frosts, respectively. In fact, crops such as broccoli and cauliflower taste sweeter after a frost.
This month, we have some tips for mid-to-late summer planting what we hope you'll find helpful. As always, consulting your nursery or county extension agent first is a good idea, as they'll have information and advice specific to your planting zone and local weather conditions.,
Stay cool,
Frank DiPaolo
EarthBox
A nice variety of vegetables can be planted during July and August for harvesting in the fall; in southern climes, some can even be harvested well into the winter.
Before you begin planting for your fall bounty, though, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Except for crops that have finished producing for the year, such as some varieties of peas and lettuce, keep harvesting the fruits and vegetables of your established crops, as they'll stop producing if you don't.
- Use fresh fertilizer strips for the new plantings.
- Consult a growing chart for your area, or check with a local resource for exact planting dates and maturation times for crops planted in late summer.
Now, on to the crops! Vegetables quite suitable for mid-to-late summer planting include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, peas, and kale. Brussels sprouts are especially ideal for late fall or early winter harvest, as they benefit from freezing temperatures.
Some of these vegetables mature in as little as ten weeks. vegetables that mature even faster include radishes, Swiss chard and lettuce, which can be harvested in about five weeks. Fall spinach can be planted as late as September. Also, look for rapidly maturing varieties of chili peppers, as they'll offer good yields well into the fall, as bell peppers start to wane.
July is also a great time to start an herb garden, for the beauty, aroma and eventual culinary pleasure it will offer. Basil, chives, coriander, oregano, mint, parsley, and sage will all do fine in the summer, provided they're transferred inside in containers when the weather turns cool.
Don't leave your EarthBoxes idle just because your early harvests are in, folks! If you replant now, we think you'll be surprised at how productive they can be even this late in the year.
Got Birds?
If you're having a problem with birds munching on your crops, visit this thread in the Q&A section of the Forum for some tips on how to keep our feathered friends from eating your lunch.
Stein Garden and Gifts
Every month, we highlight one of our valued partners, so you can learn more about them and their products. This month, we salute Stein Garden and Gifts, with 16 locations in Wisconsin, from Green Bay down to Kenosha.
Stein Garden and Gifts was founded in 1946, and for over 60 years it's been the premiere nursery chain in the Midwest. Each family-owned location includes several acres' worth of nursery stock and landscaping items. Among other things, Stein nurseries offer a wide variety of live tropical, flowerings and succulent plants, as well as water gardening items, home d̩cor, and giftware. Seasonal selections include flower and vegetable seeds, bulbs, holiday decorations, and gifts.
All Stein Garden and Gifts locations are open 7 days a week. For store locations or other information, click here.
Dottie's Garden
"Here are some new pictures of my garden. First, here are my sugar snap peas. They are now six feet high, and are flowering and producing pods."
Dottie
Zone 6
Morgantown, WV
For more views of Dottie's garden, click here.
EarthBox is on Facebook! Now you can become a fan of EarthBox, joining a community of fellow EarthBox users for conversations, advice and photo sharing -- or just to check out whatever new information EarthBox has to enhance your gardening experience!
The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm. Our maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork, and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden -- with less fertilizer, less water, and virtually no effort. It's used successfully on a daily basis by commercial farmers, educators, and consumers. Distributors are also finding it to be a popular growing system.
EarthBox is a remarkably easy-to-set-up system that can be used to grow produce virtually anywhere.åÊOur systems have been incorporated into community gardens all over the world, enabling families and neighbors to share fresh produce while minimizing work and expenses.
EarthBoxesåÊalso make excellent additions toåÊthe classroom. Our Pre-K through 12th grade standards-based curriculum support packages can bring science to life, with hands-on lessons that teach principles of growing and nutrition, utilizing the scientific method in student-driven experiments.
Visit our Education Programs page to learn more.