🍂Fall Dreaming on a Summer Day🌞

First thing in the morning, pre-shower, pre-coffee, I dash (OK shuffle) outside to beat the heat. I have been harvesting summer crops, blackberries, strawberries, onions, beets, Makah ozette potatoes, carrots, as well as seeds. I have been removing played-out vegetables as well.

What do I find myself with?

Space!

What ever shall I do?

Fill it up again!

Because it’s so hot, I’m starting fall crops indoors for transplanting out later. Broccoli and lettuce are my favorites, but there are many possibilities. After the heatwaves passes, you can direct sow carrots, beets, turnips, chard, cilantro, onion, and more. Just be sure to keep the soil moist.

Tip! Remember that your soil is likely deleted of nitrogen from growing summer crops. Consider amending the with a nitrogen (N) rich fertilizer. (Except for carrots. Carrots form better in nitrogen poor, sandy soil.) I’m not so worried about the other nutrients because I have a high organic matter and lots of microbe activity freeing up P and K and other micro-nutrients. The rain hasn’t yet washed away all the calcium. It can take a few weeks for microbes to liberate the nutrients in organic fertilizer. So the sooner, the better.

Stay cool and plant on!

Resources

• Weekend Tip: Fall Vegetables – Second Breakfast Gardens
• Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest – OSU Extension Service