Second Planting

Fall planting is a wonderful thing, giving us a chance to enjoy Nature’s bounty up until the holidays. Now until Aug 15th is the time to start sowing the seeds for another crop. And while Fall planting is not easy, with care and attention you can have another bumper crop this year.

Most importantly, choose the right plants for the season. Remember, these plants will be fighting extreme heat, low water, full-grown insects, and those ever-present weeds. Near the end of their season the weather will be cold, perhaps rainy, so you want plants that are meant to grow in those conditions. Broccoli, cabbage, snap beans, collards and other greens and lettuces, radishes and potatoes all perform well when planted late in the season.

Follow the directions on the seed packet or plant insert that direct you when to plant. If you live in Nashville, keep in mind that the first frost date is approximately October 29th and count backward accordingly. If the plant requires 60 days to fruition, you want to plant by August 29th or sooner to beat the frost date.

Plants require nitrogen, and fall plants are no exception. Fertilize your seed with nitrogen. Nitrogen is very mobile in the soil, making it subject to leaching and other types of losses, so it has to be replaced. Urban soils are often lacking in nutrients, especially where organic material such as leaves and grass clippings have been constantly removed and not allowed to return nutrients to the soil. Adding compost, leaf mould, animal manures, seaweed, straw, etc. on a regular basis is the best recipe for plant health. A word of warning though: don't incorporate organic matter deeper than 20cm - it can produce gases around the roots of plants and kill them. Organic mulches are great for water conservation and weed control as well. Organic material does however use up nitrogen as it breaks down. A good way of replacing nitrogen is planting a green manure crop of legumes and digging the crop into the soil. Chemical fertilizers allow you to be more scientific and exact in the way you apply nutrients.

All in all, you can plant fall crops with confidence by following the tips mentioned in this article. I relied heavily on the websites listed below and even used some of their words verbatim. Please visit both sites for more extensive info.

http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/homeGarden/default.asp

http://www.global-garden.com.au/gardenbegin_soil.htm#More%20Good%20Oil%20on%20Soil

Sweet Summer Corn

The key to high quality sweet corn is rapid growth, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting the ears at optimum maturity.

When the corn is about 6 inches tall, thin short varieties to two feet apart and tall varieties to three feet apart. Although corn can be grown closer together than this, the roots are then more crowded and more watering and feeding are needed. Corn is a heavy user of nitrogen. Fertilize in the spring, again when the corn is eight inches tall and again when the plants are 18 inches tall. Hill soil around the plant roots to help support the stalks.

Watering is very important. Keep the soil evenly moist. Corn often grows so fast in hot weather that the leaves wilt because the roots can't keep the leaves supplied with moisture. Although corn requires much water, avoid getting water on the tassels. The pollen from the tassels must fall onto the corn silk to produce kernels, and if pollination does not occur, all that will grow is the cob. Weed early and keep the weeds cut back. Remember that corn has shallow roots, and a vigorous attack on the weeds may destroy the crop.

Yummy Recipes from the Cupboard

Yummy Dinners from Food Storage

I’ve been promising to include some recipes from my food storage. Here are a couple of quickies.

Chicken Alfredo with peas
1 jar of Alfredo sauce¼ c. dried peas 1 can white chicken breast meat Spelt
Dried mushrooms Start the water for the spelt. Combine the sauce, peas and chicken in a saucepan. Simmer on low until peas are tender. Boil spelt until tender. Drain and serve with sauce on top.

Cannellini with Dried Shitake and Canned Diced Tomatoes
Cannellini beans, cooked
Shallot or onion
Garlic, thyme, oregano
Dried mushrooms
Cook dried beans according to instructions. In a skillet, melt some high-heat canola oil. Thinly slice some shallot or onion and sauté. At the last minute, add some minced garlic. Stir until garlic starts to turn golden. Add tomatoes with juices. Simmer. Add thyme, Greek oregano, salt and pepper, mushrooms, and beans. Simmer until mushrooms are soft. Serve over noodles.

Bounty...









and beauty...

Gardening Tips

Got wisteria that won’t bloom? It might be that your plant is going through its juvenile phase, which encompasses the first seven years of the plant’s life. Prune wisteria in late spring or early summer for more blooms. You can control the shape of your wisteria with pruning.

Pinch back your mum three times before July 4th. Don’t bother them after that for full fall blooms. Failing to pinch back mums results in early blooming and leggy plants.

Take control of weeds. Spending five minutes a day on weeding will help you avoid spending hours later.

Chicken wire and rebar help keep the cats from scratching in your gardening areas.

Remember to use the magic formula when you plant:

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup bone meal

1/3 cup Epsom salts

1/4  cup blood meal

Mix together and add about a tablespoon to the bottom of the plant hole. Fill with water and let the water drain out. Then plant. This works best for flowering plants.

Sometimes azaleas will grow in a sunny spot, but the bloom period will be shortened.

 

Forsythia sets bud right after the blooms fade, so if you’re going to prune, do it as soon as blooming is finished. This will increase the number of blooms on the rest of the plant and cause the plant to thicken.

Got clay soil? Don’t despair. You can grow roses. Follow online instructions for planting, pruning and feeding.  Knockout roses are fun and easy to grow. 

Rare and Beautiful Country

"It began in mystery and it will end in mystery, but what a rare and beautiful country lies in between." --Diane Ackerman

I can’t help but apply this quote to my gardens. They too begin in mystery, with a tiny seed that magically grows. At the end of the season, they simply die, a mystery in itself. But oh, the beauty in between. 

A budding apple tree...

Happy herbs!  

Pretty maids all in a row.

A tiny treasure...