With our consistent warm weather, virtually everything can be planted out now. Here are some suggestions.
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This is one of the most important times in our gardens for many reasons. With our consistent warm weather, virtually everything can be planted out now, even if starting from seed, and still mature for late summer harvests.
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Root crops in particular can be planted now, not only for late summer enjoyment but, when left in the ground, they are perfect for fall and even winter harvests. Carrots, beets, kohlrabi, turnips and parsnips will all germinate nicely with these warmer temperatures to stretch your food resources and help your budget. Seed potatoes can still go in for an amazing flush of mid-sized gems in September.
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Here on the West Coast, sweet potatoes are gaining in popularity and either Georgia Jet or Reliance are two of the best.
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West Coast Table
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Brassicas, too, can be planted now and will provide fresh cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli well into fall. It’s an ideal time to plant Brussels sprouts for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Hardy kale varieties, set out now, will mature and last through the winter.
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It is the perfect time to plant winter squash. If kept cool and dry after harvesting, these can last through the winter and into spring.
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Acorn squash now come in so many varieties they can diversify your autumn meals. From the dark Green Acorn to the pure white Cream of the Crop, their distinct flavours provide unique dining experiences.
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Cream-coloured Butternut, Butter Baby, and Honeynut varieties also have wonderfully diverse flavours, as do the delicious Kabocha and Buttercup types. They are all great keepers, just like the mini and mid-sized Hubbards, which are better suited size wise to the average garden.
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It’s also the perfect time for Halloween pumpkins to go in. Although still popular because of their vibrant orange colours and assortment of sizes, the average pumpkin has given way to a vast array of designer pumpkins. Today’s wide selection of varieties is amazing and a lot of fun, with colours ranging from soft lemon yellows to almost black, and many bicolours.
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White varieties also rule. Available in many sizes from the tiny Snowball to the huge Crystal Star, there is a huge selection of shapes and sizes. Make sure you get the pure white types, which will look crisp in your displays.
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Unique varieties like Rouge Vif d’Etampes, Fairytale, and Cinderella’s Carriage, as well as many others, are delightful in autumn baking.
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Even some squash varieties are getting into the designer act. Grey Ghost, Autumn Frost and Galeux d’Eysines are delicious varieties, but all make exquisite decor statements, too.
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They all need to be planted as soon as possible to enjoy their fall magic.
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Basil, in all its many varieties and forms, thrives in hot weather. They are, by far, the most popular summer herb and can still be started from seed or transplanted as seedlings. The fragrance in your garden or patio is always so refreshing.
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This is also dill time, to coincide with your pickling cucumber crops which now come in smaller sizes to utilize small garden spaces and containers. Nothing quite matches the perfume of blooming dill, even in cut flower bouquets.
