It was nice to have a few cooler days, although, as we knew it would, the heat and humidity returned.
In September, we should see some relief from the heat. Still, daytime highs can continue to reach the 90s well into October.
During this transition period, warm-season and cool-season vegetables rub elbows in the garden. The warm-season vegetables, such as snap beans, okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, will mostly finish up in November or early December as weather becomes colder. Cool-season vegetables and herbs are planted into the garden starting this month.
Vegetable and herb gardening seasons can be roughly divided into the cool season and the warm season. Vegetable gardeners must be especially attuned to the seasons and carefully observe the proper planting times for vegetables. Planting times relate to a variety of factors, but temperature is a major consideration.
Warm-season vegetables cannot withstand frost without significant injury or death. They are grown from about March through November, divided up into the spring planting season, the summer planting season and the fall planting season. Many spring-planted vegetables also could have been planted again in the past month for fall production.
Cool-season vegetables are grown roughly from September to May. They need lower temperatures to perform their best and are able to tolerate the below-freezing temperatures of winter cool season.
As we move into the cool season, root crops such as carrot, radish and turnip are an important part of the garden. Root crops are always direct seeded – never transplanted. The tiny root first produced by the seed eventually develops into the edible root. It is easily damaged when the seedling is young, and this damage will cause a deformed, poor quality final product.
Plant seeds of bulbing onions, bunching onions and leeks this month. Sets (small bulbs) of bunching onions and shallots also may be planted this month, but do not plant sets of bulbing onions until early December. Onions, shallots, leeks and garlic (garlic bulbs are planted next month) are long-term residents in the cool-season vegetable garden and will not be ready to harvest until late May or early June of next year.
In addition to that, work with vegetables, there also is work to be done in the herb garden. Regularly remove the flower spikes of basil to encourage plants to continue to produce leaves. Ultimately, the plants will begin to wind down. However, basil transplants could still be planted into the garden now for a late crop.
Herbs such as sage, lavender, thyme and catnip should begin to revive, as the weather gets cooler. Remove any dead parts and fertilize lightly to encourage new growth. Generously harvest herbs that have grown vigorously during the summer. Dry or freeze the extra harvest or share it with friends.