Making a successful transition from summer to fall gardening
August can be a challenging time for gardening inspiration as your summer crops start to wind down. Figuring out what’s next can feel overwhelming. The problem isn’t keeping busy; on the contrary, the extra upkeep may leave you depleted, hot, and overworked. Some gardening losses can leave you frustrated, too. Planting a second round of summer crops, starting your autumn garden, or even simply sowing cover crops may be the answer that helps to restore your energy and enthusiasm.
The Challenges of August Gardens
August days are long, but the summer heat can be brutal. That extra daylight may be necessary to get everything done, but it’s exhausting to work in. Plants need extra watering and may become heat-stressed. Weeds and pests often thrive in the height of summer, ready to overtake your garden, steal your harvest, or damage your plants the moment you let your guard down. These losses can be tough. Many plants mature all at once in the summer, leaving you with too much open soil in the garden and not enough room in the fridge.
Second Wave of Summer Crops
Short-season varieties that mature quickly are the ticket to a quick second summer harvest. To fill in those empty gaps in your garden, fast-growing and heat-tolerant vegetables like bush beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and summer squash are all good choices for gardeners across the country. If you live in a hot zone (Zones 9-11), you might be able to fit another round of tomatoes or okra in. Herbs that thrive in warm weather and grow quickly include basil, dill, and lemon balm. Marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos are easy flowers to grow from seed that can add some color to your garden in a short amount of time.
Preparing for the Autumn Garden
Not feeling like harvesting so soon? The autumn garden is right around the corner. Many fall crops can be directly sown into your garden in August to be harvested later. Consider planting green leafy vegetables like Swiss chard, lettuce, and spinach. Brassicas such as broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and collard greens can also get a head start right now. Don’t forget root vegetables: carrots, turnips, potatoes, and beets provide an excellent fall to early winter harvest. Herbs that thrive in cooler weather, such as parsley and chives, can be sown now for a fall harvest. If you’re looking for fall blooms, consider snapdragons, pansies, calendula, and sweet alyssum.
Protect & Enrich Your Soil with Cover Crops
If you’re ready to wrap up the growing season and switch your focus, that’s understandable. Back-to-school time is right around the corner, which means many of us will lose our energetic young garden helpers and have extra responsibilities in the fall. You can still protect your soil and improve its quality without doing a lot of extra work by planting cover crop seeds. Try planting legumes like clover and hairy vetch to fix nitrogen and replenish nutrients after harvesting heavy-feeding crops. Oats and buckwheat are rapidly growing cover crops that can help with soil erosion, weed control, and adding organic matter.
Keep Planting & Growing
If you’re feeling the dog days of summer, sowing new crops might be the solution you’re looking for. Planting new seeds and watching your seedlings grow is a lot of fun and will breathe new life into your gardening so you can look forward to what comes next. Embrace the opportunities you have so you can enjoy your garden and extend your harvest.
