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PrintLegends of the Fall
It’s not too late to enjoy a season full of color in your garden.
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Continue the Harvest
Lettuces are cool weather plants normally associated with spring. But September and October are also prime growing periods, Athey says. “Throw some seeds in the ground in the beginning of September and get a fall crop.”
Like lettuce, many vegetables grow well when the heat has passed. “It’s something we’ve been working on for the past couple of years, and it’s becoming more of interest to homeowners,” says Ann Mattingly, community gardens manager for the Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington.
Mache, arugula, kale and collards can adorn your garden and table well into December. “Mache will grow all winter long,” Mattingly says. The exotic-sounding greens are easy to grow, which is interesting considering they’re highly prized in restaurants, she says.
Spinach will last into late fall. Beets, radishes, broccoli and cauliflower are other late-season options.
Because many garden centers don’t stock fall-growing veggies, you’ll have to start them from seed. Sow in late summer or early autumn. If you’ve started the seeds inside, wait until the heat has died down before introducing them to the garden.
Since you’re out there digging, plant onions in fall for an early spring harvest, Mattingly recommends. She tucks vegetables in and among perennials.
Page 3: Take Time to Plant
