ShareThisMany ambitious vegetable gardeners start seeds indoors in February, nurture and nudge them along through March and plant them outdoors sometime in April, often weeks ahead of the last potential frost. Sometimes they get lucky, defying Jack Frost with cloches, cold frames, row covers, mulch and more.
The weather can be a funny thing. It can lull you into a false sense of security, and just when you think frost and freezing temperatures are gone until fall, it hits you like a runaway train from the North Pole. Tender warm-season plants are blindsided by the unexpected -- but not unlikely -- late-season blast of Arctic temperatures. Frustrated but undaunted, you pick up the pieces and start over. Ultimately, any time lost to frost and cooler temperatures is quickly made up due to the more hospitable growing conditions of warmer soil.
Depending on where you live, by midsummer some gardens are finishing up for the season, others are in their prime and some are just starting to produce. But sooner or later, for all of us, the traditional growing season of summer comes to an end and we put away our tools until next season. Or do we?
Some die-hard gardeners long to flout Mother Nature on the other end of the growing season, pushing the limits beyond the first frosts of fall. But how do you start a new garden late in the season or keep an existing garden going strong while expecting equally successful results?
There are a number of techniques used to stretch the season. One of the simplest steps is to plant crops in stages. This technique is known as succession planting. If you love fresh-off-the-stalk corn, you might not want to plant your entire plot all at once, since it will be ready for harvest all at the same time. Instead, stagger the plantings a week at a time so that corn is ripening all throughout the growing season.
Other times, you may want to start a midseason second planting of your favorite warm-season crops. Here's what you need to know if you plan on eating homegrown vegetables right up until that first frost of fall.
-- Know the dates of the average first frost of autumn. Your county extension service is a good source for this information.
-- Know the average growing time from seed to harvest. It's listed on the seed packs or plant label.
-- Although many root crops and leafy greens don't mind frosty temperatures, classic warm-season vegetables won't survive. Know which crops are sensitive to colder weather, and time the planting accordingly.
-- For warm-season crops maturing into fall, work backward from the first frost date. Determine the number of days to maturity and count back to see if you still have time to plant, considering all the days involved in the growing cycle.
-- Before sowing a second crop, use a spading fork to turn over the soil and remove any leftover roots or buried debris.
-- Replenish the soil nutrients depleted from the first crop. Incorporate compost and a balanced, slow-release fertilizer into the soil before planting.
-- Enclosures known as cold frames are one of the most effective ways to grow even warm-season crops well past the frost date. The top of the enclosure typically consists of clear plastic or glass, such as a window frame that allows light in, while trapping heat. If you use this technique, just be sure to open the lid during the day. Otherwise your tender plants could die from too much heat.
Seeds or plants that are sown in middle to late summer may start out fast and finish more slowly. As day length shortens and temperatures start to cool, rapid growth subsides. Although you can expect great success with your second planting, don't expect exactly the same results.
The shorter days of autumn include lower sunlight levels and reduced solar energy. Accordingly, fruit can be smaller, and yields are less. On the other hand, temperatures are more pleasant, pests and diseases have subsided and the dog days of summer have passed. That's a trade-off I can live with any day!
(Joe Lamp'l, host of "GardenSMART" on PBS, is a Master Gardener and author. For more information visit www.joegardener.com. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.)
THE GARDENER WITHIN
