Time to think about winter crops
We’ve still got a lot of hot weather ahead, but now is the time to start planting and planning that winter garden.
Janet Miller, head gardener at Our Garden, says as our summer gardens start fading, we can start pulling things out and planting cool weather crops. Here are some of her tips:
nGardening in the winter is a lot less work than summer gardens, and there are more varieties of plants we can grow. The plants grow more slowly, taking the strain off the need to harvest often, and if we’re lucky, winter rains will provide most of the water.
nSome plants can be sown from seed while others should be planted from seedlings. All root vegetables — beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, parsnips — should be planted from seed, while the bigger garden vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage — should be grown from seedlings.
nEverything else you want to grow can either be planted by seed or seedling.
nBrassicas, which include broccoli and cauliflower, should be planted between now and mid- September so that they will be established before the colder weather sets in. They won’t like the heat, however, so be sure to cover them with shade cloth. If you plant them too late in the season, they won’t produce.
nThe key to winter gardens, as with summer gardens, is to add nutrients in your beds before planting. A soil test is recommended to see what nutrients may be lacking.