From the Gardens Registrar: What to Plant in September; Reminder About Workdays; More Weed-Whacking With Megan; UH Fruit Trees Attacked; New Garden Worker!

 Hello Gardeners,

 WHAT TO PLANT IN SEPTEMBER – If you’ve got some empty space in your plot, there is still time to plant vegetables  before the end of the season.  Or if you’ve got a weedy patch, pull up the weeds, and plant late-season vegetables there. This is a good time of year to plant greens such as spinach, chard, and kale. You don’t have to wait for them to mature or get big before you start eating them, and they like cool weather. In fact, kale actually tastes better after frost. Lettuce is a little more sensitive to cold, but it grows quickly and can be eaten when it’s very small. Root crops, such as radishes, beets, turnips, etc. are another possibility. They do fine in cool weather, and since the part you eat is in the ground, they’re protected from early frosts. Radishes also grow quickly. Peas and carrots are also possible as fall crops – they might or might not produce for you, but if you’ve already got the seeds, you don’t have much to lose.

 Remember that when you’re planting later in the season, you need to add about 10 days to the “days to maturity” listed on the seed package. We can’t predict exactly when we’ll have a frost, but it’s most likely to be late October. So, for instance, if radishes planted in spring will start to get big enough to pick in 30 days, you can expect them to take at least 40 days in the fall, and you’ll want to plant them about 40 days before the end of October.

 REMINDER ABOUT WORKDAYS – Normally, this time of year, I’m reminding gardeners that they have to be sure to get their workdays in before the end of the season. But this time, I’m reminding you that, due to all the problems caused by the Coronavirus, gardeners do not have to do a workday this year – they can defer it to next year. If you have already done your workday (or paid the no-workday fee) for this year, thank you – you will not have to do a workday or pay the fee next year. Normally I want you to worry about this. But this year, please worry about something else. I’m sure you can think of something.

 WEED WHACKING – However, Megan is still enjoying her weed whacking sessions on Monday mornings, and is always looking for new recruits, so please contact me if you’d like to do a one-hour session with her, 9am – 10am. Also, if you’ve done one session, you could volunteer for another. Although a work day is usually 3 hours, I will consider 2 sessions of weed whacking to equal a work day. So feel free to sign up again.

 UNIVERSITY HOUSES FRUIT TREES ATTACKED – Our already sad fruit trees near the shed at University Houses have been attacked recently – possibly by children trying to climb them, or by adults trying to pick the fruit. Please remember that our fruit trees are delicate, and not in the best shape – please do not climb them or allow your children to do so. Also, you are welcome to pick the fruit, but do not hurt the trees in the process. And another note to UH Gardeners – what on earth have you been doing with your plot markers? (Late night javelin-throwing sessions?) A lot of the markers are missing. If you have moved your plot marker, please put it back where it was originally. Thank you.

 NEW GARDEN WORKER – Please welcome our new garden worker, Andy, who is joining Megan on our maintenance team beginning this week. Andy started gardening at Eagle Heights this year, and has lots of good ideas for projects. We’re delighted to have him.

 Happy Gardening and Stay Well,

Kathryn