Can you believe its August? I cannot fathom where this year has went.
Our garden is still trucking along. A lot of years this is the time when things began to start winding down, but our succession planting has really paid off and we’re still get a lot out of the garden.
I’ve been planning our fall garden, but I believe I’m going to wait a little longer to plant, maybe even the first of September.
Last year my fall garden was pitiful. Some of it didn’t come up till this spring. I believe I planted it too early and the cool weather seeds just couldn’t germinate in the hot end of summer weather.
Are you going to plant a fall garden?
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Your new basket and cart are beautiful. The Deer Hunter did good!
Tipper,
Back before my eyes had to have Catalytic Surgery in 2005, I got up and was in the garden as soon as I could see after it got Daylight. My Girlfriend, Jean and her boy, James were coming up from Cleveland, Tenn. to help with the stringing and breaking of the Nantahala White Runners. We broke about 3 bushels of beans on the First Run, and I gave good Measure. We would get 28 or 29 quarts to A Bushel. My friend, Jesse taught me that. After the First Pickens, I gave my neighbors and other Folks I didn’t know, about 9 or 10 bushel every year.
I use to plant lots of Stuff in my Garden. I had the best Garden Spot in the Country and I always had lots of Onions, Radishes, Cukes, and Beets. One time I planted two rows of Okra about 80 feet
across the garden to see what it was like. I ate several messes but I couldn’t keep it picked, so I called my neighbor, James Hooper, and after work, he came with a bushel basket and picked a bushel for his parents. They had a Garden Spot, but was too old to work it. …Ken
Shoot! It’s 60 degrees at 11 a.m. here in South-central Michigan. Wearing sweats if you can believe it. Hope this chilly air is a one-day deal and doesn’t head your way. As if 2020 couldn’t get any stranger…
I love that picture. Some folks take pictures of flowers while I mostly admire photos from the vegetable garden. First year ever my green beans did not do well. They usually always grew well no matter what. Thoughts run back to the years they were so plentiful that I was giving to friends and neighbors. I kept planting kale last year and kept the bugs picked off until the chilly weather set in. It overwintered , and I had kale all Winter due to the mildness of the Winter. I even dehydrated some. It makes me wonder why I never tried this before.
My neighbor at one time always plowed up his garden earlier than I would have, because I always loved having green peppers and tomatoes until frost. He would sow greens of all descriptions and would have a bumper crop, especially of large turnips which he shared.
I will probably spend the fall working on improving the soil and the structure of my garden. Even though I live on top of a little ridge my garden is prone to flooding during the rainy season which has been most of this summer. Mommy used to call the weather pattern “Wet Dog Days” as opposed to “Dry Dog Days” when we get no rain.
I need to cut a swale on one side of the garden and try to built up the low spots. I have no way to move dirt other than a shovel and wheelbarrow so wish me luck.
I noticed your “planting by the signs” calendar has “Sign the Head” instead of Aries. That is from the Man of Sign calendar while the rest are from the Zodiac calendar. Had you noticed that?
It took me a few years to ask the extension office why my green beans bloom their heart out and look like small trees but don’t produce many beans. The beans that do mature come on late and are too tough to eat. It turns out the soil is not lacking anything but has too much nitrogen. I’m about ready to pull all my bean plants and get ready for a fall garden. It will be a small garden with lettuce and turnips.
Beans and other legumes fix nitrogen on their roots. Follow your beans with corn and it will be happy.
I’ve planted squash, radish, cucumber, turnips, and bok choy. Never grew bok choy before and haven’t eaten it since I was in Vietnam. Three weeks ago I planted sugar baby watermelon, never before tried watermelon this late. Everything looks good except the bok choy.
I’m still building a fence around my garden and have most of the postholes dug and post in part of them. Unfortunately I sprung my back using a bar and posthole digger and that has set me back over a week. This shore ain’t like digging postholes 50 years ago.
I have had a fall/winter garden for about 20 years, though I did not grow up with one. All I knew of growing up was that some few folks planted mustard and turnip in the fall. I am thinking about it as far as looking for the seeds I need and planning where I will plant different things. I have a worse problem with heat here than you do. I won’t plant anything until probably Aug. 14 and may hold off until September. I had the same experience last year as you did. My lettuce came up this spring instead of last fall.
I like a fall garden for cool season vegetables. A big plus is that the bugs are gone soon after they start growing. And it is very satisfying to go out to the garden and get fresh vegetables and especially so on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I usually have mustard, turnip, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, radishes and at least try to have carrot (though it grows very slowly in winter).
If I plant in mid-August it is time now to fertilize and lime, at least tha is the recommendation I have read, to do that about two weeks before planting.
Your new basket is full and do I see a second basket under the first? Your food is very attractive. No fall garden here but here’s to those who are!!!It rains FAR TOO MUCH these past few years (rainiest year ever recorded last year) to get my hopes dashed. Have a good day all!