Lettuce in June. (Photo by Tom Atwell)
I planted a patch of leaf lettuce in our vegetable garden last week. The first batch, which I planted in a cold frame way back in March, is still producing, but I’m not sure it will continue into another month. We will want lettuce for our sandwiches and an occasional salad well into October, and this planting will provide that.
Lettuce is the easiest crop for late planting. It sprouts quickly, as long as it gets water at least every other day. I used a wild garden lettuce mix from Pinetree Garden Seeds left over from the spring planting, and it should be ready to harvest in about 40 days.
That is the easiest crop for a fall harvest, but there are more.
In spring the pressure is on the peas. The old saying is that you should plant your peas by Patriots Day so you can enjoy the traditional Fourth of July dinner of salmon and peas. But peas are just as tasty in the fall. The deadline for planting peas for a fall crop, according to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, is Aug. 1. For that, you should plant varieties with a short growing season.
Sugar Ann is a snap pea that should be ready to harvest in 50 to 60 days, while Little Marvel is a bush variety that will produce shelling peas in 60 to 63 days.
Carrots are another option, especially for those of us who prefer small carrots that you cook whole rather than the large ones that are sliced before cooking. Again, choose varieties with a short growing season, such as Mokum and Minicore.
Coneflowers, anise and hyssop. (Photo by Tom Atwell)
Other late crop vegetables include radishes, beets, kale, spinach, bush beans and broccoli. Again, plant them now through early August.
Most people are into gardening for flowers rather than food, and there are many things you can do to add beauty right now.
Flowers that you could plant now that will blossom before the end of the season include zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, snapdragons, and calibrachoa. Many nurseries will still have seedlings for sale at this time, so you can get instant satisfaction – and most of them will be at a reduced price. I bought (at a discount – I am a native Mainer) and planted some pepper and summer squash seedlings a week ago.
Your garden is probably thirsty
Typically, spring is a rainier season than August, and the temperatures are a lot cooler early in the season.
Make sure that you water these new plantings regularly. Since our new lettuce patch is small, I get a watering can of water from one of our rain barrels every day and give the lettuce a good soaking. It also gives me a few extra steps for my step-counter.
Tomato plants in the garden. (Photo by Tom Atwell)
The University of Cooperative Extension has a bulletin on extending the season, but that involves things like plastic mulches, row covers, cold frames and hoop houses. The information is geared toward people who are gardening for a living, rather than those of us gardening for entertainment. It would be too much work for me.
Your garden containers might be hungry
This time of year, you’ll want to make sure flowering baskets and other containers are still looking good. The annuals growing there have been producing blossoms for a couple of months, and they might need a bit more energy. It is probably time to give them a shot of liquid fertilizer in addition to making sure they get all the watering they need.
Things to do now
McLaughlin Garden in South Paris is offering a tour of nine gardens from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $40. Visit mclaughlingarden.org.
Your jobs for now include deadheading, not only the basket flowers but also flowers in the gardens. Some should be cut back severely, and any plants that have died should be removed.
Keep an eye out for fruits and vegetables to harvest now, including raspberries, tomatoes, eggplant and more.
From The Garden is published in partnership with Eat Drink Lucky and sponsored by Skillins Greenhouses.
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