As the summer heat continues, and we look forward to the cooler weather in September and October, gardening is in full swing as we water, weed and harvest our vegetables.
To continue the harvest, consider planting cool season crops. Leaf lettuce, broccoli, radishes, turnips, beets and collard greens are good choices. Lettuce, radishes, turnips and beets are easy to start from seed. Prepare the seed bed, sow as you would in the spring, keep them watered, and watch for the seedlings to emerge! Lettuce and radishes will be ready to harvest by the end of September, and by the end of October through early November, broccoli, turnips and collard greens will be ready. Those crops that need a little more time? Cover them with row covers to extend their life and protect them from frost.
Before storing root crops like carrots and beets, cut off the green tops. The leaves transpire, pulling moisture out of the roots and drying them out. An easy option is to store them in a sealed plastic bag with a damp paper towel and keep them refrigerated. They will stay fresh for quite a while.
Plant Cover Crops. In the vegetable garden, it’s always a good idea to cover the soil to reduce erosion and absorb water, add nutrients to the soil, and enhance the tilth of the soil. Cover crops, such as winter wheat and oats make great plants to cover the soil through the winter months. Be sure to dig them under before they go to seed in the spring.
August through October is a great time to harvest herbs and dry them for winter seasonings. Keep the flowers pinched off to prolong production. Allowing the plants to flower can make the leaves taste bitter. Nothing beats fresh herbs in a recipe, but through the winter months, enjoy herbs by drying. An easy way to dry herbs is to cut the stems with leaves, put them in a brown paper bag, and refrigerate. After a few weeks, check the bag. If the herbs are dry, take them out, crunch them up, and store them in a dark, lidded container.
There are other ways to preserve the herbs. Check https://extension.psu.edu/freezing-herbs to find out more information on freezing herbs!
August and September can provide little rain, except through occasional seasonal storms. Watering continues to be a garden chore. A little hint: when watering your plants, let the hose run a minute or two to be sure the water is not hot. It’s best to water in the morning so the plants are dry by nightfall to avoid diseases. However, if time does not allow for that, early evening is the second-best time.
August is a good time to divide and transplant bearded iris and daylilies. When dividing iris, break off the vigorous ends of the rhizomes. Discard the old center portion. Cut the leaves back to about 8 inches and plant. Be sure not to bury the rhizomes. They do like to be sitting almost on the surface of the soil. Daylilies can be divided down to one fan per division. Cut the foliage back to about 6 – 8 inches and plant. With daylilies, the tubers must be under ground.
When September and October hit, it’s time to plant spring bulbs. If they weren’t ordered in June through August, don’t fret. Most garden centers have bulbs for planting. Be sure to look them over before purchasing to be sure none is rotting or shriveled.
When dividing perennials, consider this mantra: if it blooms in the spring, divide in the fall, if it blooms in the fall, divide in the spring, if it blooms in the summer, divide in fall or spring. Dividing perennials in September gives the plants enough time to get their roots established and make it through the winter months. Doing this task in the fall reduces the crazy number of tasks needed to complete in the spring.
Plant grass seed. If a lawn needs mended or a new lawn is needed, now’s the time! The cooler temperatures and moderate moisture allow for seeds to germinate and a turf to get established. Rough up the soil before planting seeds. There must be seed to soil contact for success.
As tropical plants are coming in from the outside to overwinter indoors, be sure to make room in sunny windows. Houseplants need a bit of space; prepping in advance makes for a better transition.Although houseplants slow down in growth due to shorter days, they still require sunshine.
Add fall color to the containers. This can easily be accomplished by adding mums, asters, pansies, flowering cabbage and kale, as well as colorful foliage of perennials, like coral bells. This will freshen up containers and look like fall in an instant.
Enjoy the garden!
