Quote of the Day: Robert Louis Stevenson
“Judge every day not by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds you sow.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
It’s that time of year to put aside thoughts of harvesting and canning and plan out your fall garden. I started seeds for mine last week (which is a tad late, but oh well). A lady at the farmer’s market had good luck growing a fall crop of green beans last fall, so I’m trying it this year.
I’m planning on covering them with plastic on those hoops we built. If this fall is colder than usual, as our summer has been, I’m only out $1.50 for the seeds. If it works out, I’ll be eating fresh green beans in October. I also started: red cabbage, brussels sprouts, radicchio, broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini for my fall garden.
Are you planning & planting a fall garden this year?
Filed under Quote, Seasons, Seed Sowing | Comments (10)
Yes indeed I am. Carrots, kale/chard, garlic (for next year harvests) and fall peas have all started life in my garden. I did not have great luck with the winter greens last fall, despite the reports from others about keeping their greens through the snowy December days. I’m at it again this year though…. the dream of fresh greens on a winter day lives strong, I guess!
.-= Mangochild´s last blog ..Bits and Pieces: Local Thoughts and News =-.
to Mangochild's comment
We’re definitely working on a fall garden—- Florida is really hot during the summer, and a lot of crops that northerners grow in June, we can’t really grow until September or so (especially things like lettuce. Mine bolted before March was over).
It’s amazing how much cheaper it is to buy seeds than groceries once everything is set up. If even half of the things in my garden work out, it’ll be a couple weeks of food for less than a trip to the grocery store.
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Sketchy leek seeds =-.
to Christine's comment
We garden year round – so definitely working on the fall garden whilst also frantically preserving the peak summer garden production. All my fall garden, and some of my overwintering items are already in the garden and growing. I have a few more overwintering items to seed in the coming weeks. I need to start some walla walla onions soon that will be planted out in the fall to overwinter for next year’s summer onion crop. At the end of August or first of September, I will direct seed a large bed of spinach. This bed is for the earliest spring crop. The seeds germinate and grow to a small plant size before the short cold days virtually stop the growth altogether. We keep this patch covered with a grow tunnel cover and it just stays in a holding pattern until about February – when the increasing sun strength and length begins awakes the plants and they begin growing again. The trick is to get them growing well enough but not mature going into the winter and remembering to give them water as needed since the grow tunnel creates a mini greenhouse. The big overwintered spinach patch feeds us during the very lean months of February and March with fresh garden food.
The fall crops growing are carrots (four different succession crops), broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, cabbages (3 kinds and 1 overwintering variety), parsnips, brussel sprouts, lettuces, and spinach.
to KitsapFG's comment
I did the same thing with spinach last summer. I don’t have too many areas that are available for fall/overwintering. Hopefully as I get more and more raised beds built I’ll be able to grow more and more fall & winter things.
to Susy's comment
I am hoping for a good fall harvested this year and for a warm fall. I have sown yellow bush beans early last week as well and a crookneck squash. It will be interesting to compare how our crops do. I also started broccoli, brussels sprouts and red celery at the start of June and they are well on their way now. As well as many greens in cell packs a couple weeks ago.
.-= Dan´s last blog ..Tomato Intervention =-.
to Dan's comment
I started some broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage for my fall garden so far, and plan on growing lettuce and peas, and then arugula later in the season as well.
.-= Andres Stell´s last blog ..Fall Vegetable Sowing =-.
to Andres Stell's comment
Im putting in some garlic and onions but nothing else this year. If i was around more then absolutely.
.-= michelle´s last blog ..Gourmet Garlic =-.
to michelle's comment
I have started seeds for carrots, Chinese Long Beans, White Lisbon Bunching Onions, broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, India Mustard Greens, various lettuces such as head, red and crispy winter greens, spinach, cabbage, neon chard and in January I will plant Leeks. I’m as excited for my fall harvest as I was for my glorious summer harvest.
to Lynn's comment
Yay! You’ve given me hope! I started from fall crops a couple of weeks ago and thought that I might of been too late! I’m ready to transplant some bush beans, peas, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, beets and several varieties of asian greens. I’m also hoping to sow some winter hardy carrots and hakerai turnips this week.
I like the hoops that you’ve constructed. Here in zone 6 masschusetts, I’m also looking to find ways to extend the short growing season! Good luck with your fall crops this year.
.-= Thomas´s last blog ..Constructing Raised Beds =-.
to Thomas's comment
I’m in the middle of a garden expansion, irrigation project, finishing the summer garden, and making jam on at least a biweekly basis.
I do have a half-bed planted with saved kale seed and plan to seed the other half with lettuces. I have plans. . . we’ll see how far I get.
.-= stefaneener´s last blog ..Food all day long =-.
to stefaneener's comment