Garden Plot

Along with the month of August come the hottest days of summer and vegetable and flower gardens, although at their peak with bounty, they also struggle to keep ahead of the heat and sometimes heavy rains. It is important that during this stage of the growing season to avoid having the garden dry out or drown as a result of the weather extremes.

During the dry days be sure to water only in the early morning hours before the sun comes up completely and never at night as this will encourage pests and attract other animals to feast on all your hard work. Keep in mind too that in certain parts of the country, afternoon rains can also wreak havoc on your summer crop so plan your watering with a good weather report and resource in mind.

As your garden winds down from the summer, be sure to clean up the areas and dispose of spent vegetable plants in the compost for fertilizer for next year’s planting. To keep down weeds you can cover the finished areas with straw. This will be especially important for those, who like myself, are getting ready for your fall planting of lettuce and other greens in just a couple of weeks.

To get the most of out of your crop, learn ways to “put up” or preserve vegetables for the coming winter months. For those of you who are a little intimidated by the idea of canning, freezing your vegetables is the next best thing.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. If you are planning to put up or can some of your vegetables, be sure to use the best of the crop. Do not use if there are signs of rot or mold or if they are overipe.
  2. Wash vegetables thoroughly to remove all dirt and insects. Check leaves of greens such as collards to make sure insects are not camouflaging to blend in. To help with this process, put a little salt in a large sink of cool water and allow vegetables to sit in the water for a few minutes. Insects will usually float to the top of the water for easy removal.
  3. Store vegetables in a cool dry area such as a basement for best results, rather than the refrigerator to allow for the natural sweetness to develop in things likes tomatoes and peppers. Do not store more than a couple of days however to avoid spoilage.
  4. Share some of your bounty with a friend or neighbor who is not able to plant a vegetable garden.
  5. Plan a couple of days in late August-early September to get seeds in the ground for your fall crop. Be sure to choose items that will mature just before the first frost.