Time to plant seed for cool season crops
Mid-summer ideal for a little advanced planning
Last night I saw my first back-to-school commercial.
While I no longer have to shop for back-to-school supplies, the commercial reminded me that September is just around the corner — it’s time to start planning for a fall crop of vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Mid-summer is actually the ideal time to plant seeds for the autumn season and, surprisingly, this second season can be very productive with just a little advanced planning.
Cool season crops such as lettuce, chard, kale and baby PakChoi; aromatic herbs such as dill, chives, basil, arugula and parsley and vegetables with short growing seasons including green onion, spinach, beet and radish are all candidates for mid-summer planting.
Here’s what you need to know. Read the catalogue (or seed packet) to find the number of days the plant needs to mature, look for selections that need fewer days to mature. Our first frost date in Niagara is Nov. 1-10, but that can vary. Beets and swiss chard need 50 to 60 days while mini bok choi matures in 30 days. Mesclun mix lettuce can be harvested in 20 days, while frilly Grand Rapids lettuce needs 45 days. Experts recommend counting the days back from our typical first frost date to determine how early you must plant to give your crop enough time to mature.
Before we left for holiday, I cleared large patches of our circle garden and emptied tiredlooking containers on our deck of plants that were past their prime: pansies, lettuce, parsley, nibbled zinnias (thanks to the bunnies), dill and self-seeding salvia. I now have a blank slate to start a few late season crops of fresh greens, herbs and flowers.
According to the experts at Renee’s Garden (www.reneesgarden.com), seedlings must have a good initial growth and well-established root systems for a reliable harvest in cooler weather. That means starting the plants in August when the soil is still warm. The goal is to have established plants, ready to harvest, that you store outdoors in the cool garden until you are ready to bring them indoors to enjoy.
Start seeds in containers, just as you would in the spring, or prepare a seed bed in a partially shaded area (dappled sun is ideal); the seedlings will need enough light to become established, but protected from full, hot sun.
In the garden, consider planting in the evening, when temperatures are cooler, thoroughly moistening the soil before sowing the seed. In a sunny vegetable garden, row covers are helpful to screen seedlings from the hot sun until they become established. Once the seedlings have settled in, remember to keep them watered and fertilized until they become established.
A few years ago, I planted a second crop of lettuce in our cold frame. We enjoyed the fresh greens in the autumn, and the covers protected the crop well into early December — admittedly, conditions were ideal that year, but it illustrates what is possible. I planted kale in the garden in mid-August; it was slow to establish, but it survived the winter and offered a second quick crop before bolting in the spring.
This year, I’m going to plant a second crop of dill and fennel in the circle garden for us to enjoy in the kitchen and for the butterflies that visit our garden. I am also going to start a second crop of lettuce, basil, parsley and calendula in clay pots in our little greenhouse. They will move outdoors in early September, after they become established.
Looking to increase the stock of annuals and perennials in your flower beds? Many annual, biennial and perennial flowers can be started in August, the annuals will flower in the autumn, the biennials and perennials will bloom next year. The advantage sowing seed-grown biennials and perennials now is that they need one season to establish themselves before they can flower. It’s a good way to fill your garden with flowers without emptying your wallet.
Annuals such as Love-in-amist (Nigella), bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea cyanus), pansies, pot marigold (Calendula) and snapdragons will bloom this fall, and are good candidates for this project.
Biennials, such as forget-menot (Myosotis), foxglove (Digitalis) and hollyhock (Alcea) form a rosette the first season and then flower the following year. Biennials will return year after year if they are allowed to go to seed
(and the gardener allows a few seedlings to grow).
Perennials such as delphinium and candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) can also be started from seed in August; they will bloom next year.
Blanket-flower (Gaillardia) is a native flower with sunny yellow, orange and wine coloured flowers that bloom six weeks after planting. An August sowing should flower this year. Bees and butterflies love them, they look great in fall containers and make long lasting cut flowers.
Happy planting.
Theresa Forte is a local garden writer, photographer and speaker. You can reach her by calling 905351-7540 or by email at theresa_forte@sympatico.ca.