Bert Swope
It’s time to start thinking about September as the best time of year to begin planning for your next garden crop. Among the garden vegetables which can be growing starting in September are:
- Beet
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Cilantro
- Collard Greens
- Dill
- Endive
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Turnip
There are several reasons why garden crops need cooler months to grow. Here are a few tips for planting summer crops to ensure your gardeners will be ready to harvest in September.
The first reason is that September is the end of the summer season. This means that your garden needs to be able to grow the crops that are needed for the next season. Most plants will flower and grow well between July and August. However, July and August are the hottest months of the year, so most plants will not grow as well after the summer heat. Be sure to plan early if you want your garden crops to have a chance to produce.
You should also plan early on how much water and fertilizer you will provide to your plants. Remember that plants only require a small amount of water, usually just enough to maintain their health. They also do not need fertilizer as much. Fertilizer can often make plants grow better, but it can also cause weeds to grow and flourish. It is not as important to apply fertilizer when you are planting as in other seasons.
If you have many rocks or steep hills in your yard, this can affect the quality of soil that your plants will grow in. These types of features can prevent your garden from draining properly, which could lead to compacted soil, which could also hinder your crops. So be sure to check your soil to see how well it drains before you begin planting.
Healthy plants can also deter insects from destroying your crop. Most insects are more likely to be active during their daytime hours when plants are not growing in the summertime. The darkness and cooler temperatures of fall and winter can make insects less likely to be active during the day. Also, if there are many pests around, they might ignore the flowers you have planted in your garden because they aren’t going to eat them.
Most importantly, healthy soil will allow your garden to grow properly. The health of the soil is the foundation on which everything else depends. Healthy plants will be more likely to stay healthy, which means they will produce more fully. Also, your crops will be more likely to survive severe weather that can affect the soil’s quality.
There are two types of crops that you should focus on when getting the best soil for your garden. First off, you want to be sure to plant cool-season plants, since these are accustomed to cooler temperatures. Also, be sure to plant annuals in late summer and early fall. This is the time of year when plants produce their pollen, which can actually help reduce air pollution and keep you from breathing in too much dirt and dust. You might learn some tricks of the trade that you didn’t know about before! If you are still wondering what crops you should plant in September, check out this list of pros and cons for each crop.
Fall is a great time to plant garden crops because there are more insects around and there is a chance for bugs to be attracted to your garden. Also, the leaves have stopped changing color and it is a wonderful time to take a walk outside in your yard, enjoying the crisp fall air and watching as mosquitoes go bug-free for the season. Summer heat can be destructive to your crops, so keeping your garden out of direct sunlight and away from trees or other plants that can shade your garden’s soil is very important. One of the nicest things about gardening in September is getting the most out of the growing season. Your soil will reward you with bountiful harvests no matter what type of crops you decide to grow.
