Mid-Summer Planting for Fall Crops Mid-summer (late July- mid August) is a good time to think about planting garden crops for fall harvest. CROPS: In mid-summer you can plant lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets, spinach, bush beans, peas, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.Mid-summer is too late to plant winter squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes or other crops that require a long season for harvest.Plants in the cabbage family such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage make excellent late season choices because cool weather enhances their flavor and they are frost tolerant. Leaf or head lettuce develops a sweet, mild flavor in cool weather. Carrots and beets planted in mid- summer will not have time to grow excessively large before harvest but will store well for the late fall and into winter.HOW TO PLANT MID-SUMMER: Mid-summer plantings need to grow quickly and vigorously because the growing season is shorter. Take care of the preliminaries to give them the best start possible.Use the bare soil left by harvesting short-season spring crops, or leave space intentionally for this purpose. Empty spaces in gardens tend to accumulate weeds.If space is not available exactly when mid-summer planting needs to take place, start seeds of plants like lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli in a sheltered location of the garden. Plant the seeds in good soil in rows close together. Transplant them to their growing location as earlier crops mature and are removed. This will save garden space and require less seed.Remove all dead plants and weeds (including roots) from the area to be planted. Till or turn the soil to loosen it and work in organic matter/compost.Germination can be a problem in hot, dry summer weather. As the soil surface dries out quickly and crusts, the small seeds have a hard time emerging. Soak large seeds such as beans and peas in water overnight before planting. This will help them to germinate once they are planted.Conserve moisture in the soil by covering rows with light mulch such as grass clippings. Water lightly and frequently until the seeds appear. Another option is to cover the row with thin boards or burlap strips. Check frequently to see when the seedlings germinate and remove the board. Burlap allows water to penetrate without causing the soil to crust over. Remove the burlap covering when the seeds germinate.Light shelter or shade should be provided during the hottest portions of the very hot summer days until the seedlings are established. Seedbed covers, made from two long boards nailed together at a 90-degree angle, form an excellent cover to let the seeds germinate. These covers form a tent over the row to keep the seedbed moist.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 17:19:18 +0000
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