in the vegetable patch
Reaping a plentiful summer harvest.....
What else can this year bring after a historic heat wave in the last week of June that basically caused all the cool season crops to give up and start bolting? Time to start thinking of pulling our cool weather crops that have gone to seed, and making room in the garden beds for fall/winter planting.
Sowing indoors: Fall/winter crops can be started in some shade to give them a chance to germinate before drying out. Overwintering root crops and brassicas can be started this month. Refer to seed packets to see which varieties are suited for fall/winter gardening.
Sowing outdoors: Transplants of leeks and Brussels sprouts can be set in the ground, and turnips, carrots, beets, rutabagas and other root crops can be sown directly. Keep soil bed moist to ensure even germination.
For a detailed planting calendar, please refer to
- Seattle Tilth's The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide;
- PDF from Oregon Tilth https://tilth.org/app/uploads/2015/02/OT_PHCalendar_Archive.pdf
- Oregon extension service https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/monthly-garden-calendars
- Washington State University extension service https://extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/fall-and-winter-vegetable-gardens-for-western-washington
garden Borders and beyond
Deadhead annuals such as cosmos and sweet peas to keep the plants blooming. Do the same with flowering perennials such as dahlias and roses.Trim and shear lavender plants after the flowering ends, to maintain their shape and prevent them from becoming too leggy. Just remember not to cut into the woody stems or they won't regrow. Salvias and perennial geraniums can also be sheared back after flowering to encourage a smaller second flush of flowers. Water deeply once or twice a week. Keep up with weeding.