“Two questions: I’m a novice vegetable gardener, so what should I plant now for fall? Also, it’s hot and my container-grown plants are looking tired; what will revive them?”
- Shirley Esau
Landscape designer Lancelot “Capability” Brown (1715-1783) was unflinching, audacious and eminently creative. He withstood loud criticism for his more naturalistic design sensibilities and found success with gentrified clientele. Brown offered not only design, but also construction oversight by using his own team of laborers, planting nursery stock by his own gardeners, and ensuring ongoing maintenance once the garden was complete.
He later drew criticism, however, from some who saw his work as insensitive to nature. Brown was known to sometimes rearrange features instead of incorporating them or he would reroute inconvenient streams, oftentimes roads– once even a small village–all in order to perfect the views from key vantage points near the hulking limestone houses they served.
Brown may have cut too deeply into the earth he worked at times, but to his credit, houses are rarely situated where a perfect view has already been provided. As we assess what we are capable of in the garden this week, let’s be unflinching, audacious and creative regarding the warm season we’ve got left, but realistic about when to pull things out, too.
Survivors
With container-grown spring delights dropping fast, it’s tempting to pop in replacements, but it’s too hot for that. Prune away any dead or diseased growth, water deeply once a week, then apply a liquid feed a few days after to reinvigorate your plants. Weed cleared containers, getting out old roots, and then amend with safe compost before covering the soil with cardboard cut to fit while it rests.
Sow in shade
Once as prevalent as greenhouses were airy shade houses for tray sowing and potting during the warm season, essentially a nursery for growing from seed all season long. Approximate the effect in your garden by finding a spot that stays a little cooler and has light shade throughout the day. Rear your fall plants there until the nights are cool enough to balance the days, and then plant. Wheel your empty amended containers into that area for direct sowing of carrots.
Sow now: dry shelling beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, leeks, lettuce, onion, parsley, parsnips, radish, spinach, and turnips. Refer to seed packets or consult a good gardening book on seed sowing and saving for specific instructions. If cooler conditions are required, start a few trays in a bright area near an indoor air-conditioner register.
Succession Planting
Sow all season, potting on in the shade, planting multiple times in the same bed or container in succession. This schedule is specific to your garden and learned over a few seasons. Keep notes on what was sowed, when and where it was planted, plus how it did. Then read back and determine where to make changes next season. The mid-summer lull signals the time to sow heavily for fall.
Until next time, Your Eatonton Gardenerd
This week’s jobs: Cull weak plants - refresh and cover empty containers - sow for fall crops. Send your gardening tips and questions to: garden.nerd.31024@gmail.com