Hello Gardeners,
PLANNING FOR THE FALL
GARDEN – Fall garden? What? We’re
right in the middle of Summer! But yes, it’s time to start thinking about this.
Our growing season in southern Wisconsin is short, so we want to grow as many
vegetables as we can in the time we have. One way to do that is to reuse the space
where you planted spring crops. Many of the same vegetables that we grow in the
spring here can also be grown in the fall.
The tricky thing is that these
plants grow best in cool weather, but you can’t wait until it cools down to
plant them – that won’t give them enough time to grow. Plants grow more slowly
after the Summer Solstice because the days are now growing shorter. If you’re
wondering if you have time to grow a particular crop, you can look at the seed
package to find out how many days it takes the vegetable to mature, but you
should add another couple of weeks to your calculation if you’re planting it in
the fall. We’re likely to have our first serious frost in October some time, (probably
not until late in the month, but there’s no guarantees.) Some of the cool
weather vegetables are killed by frost, but some of them are quite hardy, and
will survive several frosts, especially if they’re protected.
One approach is to start seeds
in pots or flats – maybe inside your house, or in a shady spot in your garden –
even vegetables you would normally plant directly into the ground. Be sure to water them every day. By the time
they’re big enough to transplant, it will be cooler. I will be putting seeds out on the share shelves for fall crops,
such as radishes, beets, peas, and lettuce. Here’s
a link to a useful article with a very helpful chart:
ARE YOU LEAVING TOWN? – A reminder that if you’re leaving Madison at the
end of the summer and giving up your garden plot, you need to let me know. If
you would like to give your plot to a friend, that’s fine, and I’ll be happy to
make the transfer. We don’t have a waiting list, so I’m glad when a plot is not
going to sit empty. But I’m the one who assigns plots – not gardeners.
POLLINATORS – All around the world, the insects and other small
animals that pollinate flowers are declining in population. This has serious
consequences for humans, because we depend on pollination to produce the plants
we eat. In Wisconsin, the Department of Agriculture has developed a pollinator
protection plan that includes strategies for farmers, beekeepers, and gardeners
to help the bees, flies, butterflies, etc. Here’s a
link to the part of the plan that lists best practices for improving pollinator
habitat in gardens: https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/PPPGardens.pdf
CREEPING BELLFLOWER – Today’s weed of the week has beautiful blue-purple
bell-shaped flowers, but it is terribly invasive, and its thick fast-growing
roots can take over a garden, and crowd out all the other vegetation very
quickly. It’s so pretty that it’s hard to fight it, but it’s difficult to just
have a little of it. You’re best digging it out as soon as it appears. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/photos/images/600jpgs/CAMRAP_BAUER1.jpg
BURLAP
BAGS – What can you do with burlap bags in a garden? You can grow plants in
them, for one thing. You can also use them as weed barriers. Burlap is made
from jute, which is a natural fiber, and it will eventually decompose. A coffee
roaster has offered us a pile of burlap bags, which will be left by the EH
share shelves Wednesday evening. Help yourself.
Here’s some suggestions for using them: https://nyp-corp.com/blog/how-to-use-burlap-bags-in-the-garden/index.html
WORKDAY
– We’ll have a workday at Eagle Heights on Sunday, July 28, from 8am – 11am.
Tasks will include cleaning berry plantings, moving compost, stacking bricks,
and other miscellaneous tasks. Gloves, hats, and water bottles will be a good
idea. Here’s the link to sign up: https://doodle.com/poll/7pwgxcwvnqpt94bc
Happy gardening,
Kathryn
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