Welcome to our
”
in-between gardening season.
”
Yes, the calendar may say it’s September, but our weather is
still saying summer. While our gardening friends back East are
starting to bundle up their gardens for winter, we have a whole new
garden season upon us. In fact, September and October are sometimes
our best months to garden.
Welcome to our “in-between gardening season.” Yes, the calendar may say it’s September, but our weather is still saying summer. While our gardening friends back East are starting to bundle up their gardens for winter, we have a whole new garden season upon us. In fact, September and October are sometimes our best months to garden.
What does this mean for local home gardeners? Well, for one thing, we don’t have to plan our gardening activities for early in the morning or near dusk because daytime temperatures aren’t always too hot. This time of year, it’s usually comfortable to garden anytime throughout the day.
What to plant during this “in-between season?” Consider fall/winter bedding plants as far as flowers are concerned, and fall/winter vegetables as far as edibles are concerned. For both bedding plants and vegetables, make sure you plant specimens that are suited for our upcoming cooler weather.
I detest some garden centers this time of year because they still offer both summer bedding plants and summer vegetables. Who in their right mind would still want to plant petunias or tomatoes in September when they’ll probably be dead by November when our usually heavy frosts arrive? For the most part, this is time to plant for our upcoming cool weather. Oh sure, you can fill in bare spots with summer bedding plants like petunias and impatiens, but save the majority of your garden space for fall/winter plantings.
Fall/winter bedding plants include: pansy, viola, snapdragon, stock, Iceland poppy, calendula, primrose, primula, dianthus, to name a few. The key is to not be afraid to plant bedding plants during this in-between season. Just be smart about how many and what kinds you plant.
As for cool-season vegetables, choose from lettuce, cabbage, beets, carrots, peas, radishes and more. Hearty greens like chard or kale, baby pak choi and other Oriental greens are fine, too, as are aromatic herbs like dill, garlic chives, chervil, arugula and parsley. All these crops can be easily be planted by seed, so you won’t have to pay more for already-started transplants.
There are advantages with these late-planted crops. These newly planted crops will have less competition from weeds and pests, and will grow beautifully with less garden work. You don’t have to worry about lettuce bolting to seed or becoming bitter tasting because of heat.
It may seem strange to start new vegetable crops when your summer produce like tomatoes and squash are still cranking, but now is the ideal time to get things started for your “second season.”
At the same time, add generous amounts of organic compost, redwood soil conditioner, peat moss or some other soil amendment to your tired soil. Plants need well-draining soil to get off to a good start, especially since our weather is still warm. It will save you in the long run, and reward you with better production.
