Second Chance Gardening

It’s September, yes it is finally here. This is called the second season for gardening in our area. Many fall vegetables have better flavor.  Now is the time to get your planting area ready. Clean up your garden plot or containers and get ready so when plants become available all you have to do is pop them in the ground. Don’t fight Mother Nature. Go for the traditional fall or cooler weather plants. 

     If you are short on gardening space think about vertical gardening. A trellis or poles can carry a small load of vines. If you have access to bamboo, these poles tied together in tee-pee fashion work wonderfully.  Hope you remember some of those Scout knots that come in handy for a project like this.

     If you use containers for a small kitchen garden add compost, if you have it.Continuous watering leaches out nutrients and containers need replenishment. Of course all garden plots need enrichment on a regular basis for best results. For larger areas cover the ground with layers of wet newspaper to retard weed growth until planting time. Keep paper wet.

     As soon as plants are available buy what you want and transplant then out of the small nursery containers into 1-3 gallon containers. Use potting soil and a slow release fertilizer, and then set in a sunny spot. Every time you water use a water-soluble fertilizer solution. You will soon have nice healthy plants to set out. 

     Tomatoes are always a big thing around my area.  The recommended ones for fall are Merced, Bingo, Celebrity, Whirlaway and Carnival. I have had good luck with leafy lettuce and vegetables. Try Swiss Chard, Collards, Kale, Mustard and Spinach. Also, Parsley does well in the cooler weather. I am going to try English peas this year. 

     Spinach, Turnips Collards and other strong-leaf greens benefit from a frost and can be grown from seed. Small bush beans and snap pole beans also can be planted from seed, but need to be put in the ground soon. If you plant in containers or raised beds make a “V” indention in the soil, water good in the trough and lay in seeds. Cover with soil and lay a wet feed sack or burlap bag over it until the seeds germinate. This will keep the soil from crusting over and preventing the young seedlings from pushing through.

     Herbs took a real hit this summer, as did everything else. Look over what survived and as plants become available fill in on what you like to keep close at hand. All nursery people are short in stock now, but will soon be getting fresh plants from their suppliers.

From time to time, I have tried to pass on tips I hope some of you will find useful. This tip came from one of my readers:

Bananas have always been a problem for the household cook. They just get ripe too quick. How many bananas have you thrown away because you left them on the cabinet a day or two too long. The next time you buy bananas, choose them as green as possible. When you get home, wrap them in a dishcloth and put them into the refrigerator immediately. I know you have always been told not to put bananas in the refrigerator. Yes, it will turn the pealing brown, but the banana will remain firm for about ten to twelve days. Thank you, J.O.

     If you have a cooking or household tip you would like to share please let me know. I can be reached at PatsChat@livingston.net.