SUMMER’S SUNSET

BY BETHANY O’REAR

It’s that time of year when warm season vegetables are looking ragged, and it can feel like the end of the gardening season is drawing near. But don’t hang up your gloves and trowel just yet; there are plenty of things to do to extend the growing season and help build an incredible garden for next year.

Don’t forget the successes (and challenges) of this season. That’s why I like to take the time every August to snap a few photos of the grounds and write down thoughts on what grew well and what didn't. I also make note of where plants are located in the vegetable garden so I am sure to rotate different crops out next season, keeping pests from setting up shop in the same place year after year. Be mindful that you are rotating crop families, not just specific individual crops. For example, potatoes, peppers and eggplant should never be grown in the same area where tomatoes were cultivated the previous year, as they are all in the same family. It’s also important to keep a journal of your ornamental plants so that they don’t overstay their welcome or overgrow their space.

When beginning to clean up my summer beds, diseased plants must be removed and disposed of in the trash. Healthy plant debris can be added to your compost pile, providing a nutrient-rich soil amendment in just a few months. If you have had your fill of beans and peas, you can chop the plants off at ground level and incorporate this “green manure” as well as their nitrogen-fixing roots into the soil to help feed next year’s crops. Many gardeners like to leave the healthy stems of annual and perennial flowers as an additional wildlife habitat.

In Alabama, August and September are the main planting times for a fall vegetable garden. The key to a successful harvest is preparation and attention to planting dates. Since severe cold is usually the greatest limiting factor for many fall vegetables, it’s important to pick varieties that either tolerate colder temperatures or can be harvested before the first freeze. Some favorites, like beets, kale, lettuce, radishes and turnips, can be direct sown into the garden from mid-August to mid-September. Transplants of broccoli and cauliflower can be planted through September. Depending on your area of the state, you may need to adjust your specific planting dates. Since there is never a reliable first frost date, keep a supply of inexpensive frost cloth on hand to cover tender vegetables should Jack Frost come earlier than expected.

Here's a fun fact! The inspiration for one of our favorite fall customs came from our fellow gardeners across the pond. An old Irish tradition consisted of putting lit embers inside a hollowed-out turnip, leading to what we now know and love as the Jack O’Lantern!

Fall is also the best time to divide those perennials that might be overgrown, especially those that bloom in the spring. Irises, allium, salvia, and daisies can all be divided in August. A good rule of thumb is to watch how well the plants are blooming. If an established patch starts to gradually bloom less or begins blooming sparsely, the plants have probably become overcrowded. That's the signal to dig and divide.

While many people choose spring for planting perennials, there are some real advantages to fall planting, especially if you do it in September. Planting in the fall gives you an added few months of fresh foliage and allows your perennials plenty of time to establish their roots before the winter months. Soil temperatures are significantly warmer in fall than in late spring. This helps perennials develop roots much faster. Remember, many perennials go on sale after they’ve done their beauty duty for the year. If they’re still healthy but have found their way to the discount bin just because they’ve finished blooming, take them home. They will be ready to show off in your garden next year.

Perennials aren’t the only plants that love fall growing conditions. This time of year is perfect for selecting new trees and shrubs for installation as the temperatures cool. Talk to your local nursery or gar- den center to make sure that they will have flowering shrubs, like Piedmont or Alabama native azaleas, two of my favorites.

Dont. Stop. Weeding. Weeds grow fastest at the end of the summer season because the conditions are just right. Once the summer season sets in, the weed seeds become established and flourish despite the dry, hot climate. If you leave the weeds to grow uncontrollably in the garden, your vegetables and flowers will be competing for nutrients in the soil. Surprisingly, many common species of weeds can produce thousands of seeds in a season with just one plant! The seeds produced by weeds are often stored in the ground and are able to germinate years later, which is why catching weeds before they seed is so important. To go along with weeding, adding a layer of mulch around your plants will help deter future weed growth. In addition, a fall mulching will insulate the soil and protect the roots of your plants from the winter weather so they will thrive in the spring.

While the garden may look a little different from when you started out this spring, it’s simply going through a different phase of the year-round gardening cycle we get to enjoy here in Alabama! Take this time to reflect, tidy up, plant something new and most of all enjoy the fruits of your labor!