what can I grow in my garden after summers harvest?

16 years ago

Usually I plant my summer garden with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. this year I added beans and one Indian corn plant (just to see what it would do)I have a small strawberry patch and one with peas. I also planted lettuces, spinach and green onions in pots this year. I'm having such a good time I don't want it to end.(though I may sing a different tune after the tomato harvest!).My question is, can I grow anything, especially in my main garden bed after I've harvested all these other things? I thought at first I could utilize the bed for garlic, as that gets planted after all these other things are done. But it looks like harvest of garlic would interfere with spring planting. any ideas? I am in northern Ohio usually zone 5 but since we're right by lake Erie, I'm zone 6. anyone up here grow things after summer harvest?

Featured Answer

Violet_Z6

16 years ago

Check with your state's Extension Service (your state of Ohio has one of the best). Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area determined by universities and horticultural research scientists who have collected data from growing those crops in your state. Your tax dollars are already paying for this service so you may as well get some use out of it.

Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf) complete with spring and fall planting dates (underneath the spring planting dates for appropriate crops), how much to plant per person, etc. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area.

See how detailed this example is:

Comments (7)

raisemybeds
16 years ago
Hi - I am in 6b and grow nearly year 'round now (whatever I can get away with!). You should start (now) planting things in trays to be placed in the beds when the tomatoes etc. are done. Suggestions would be chard, cress, broccoli, and lettuces of all varieties. You can be succession-planting your lettuces in small patches all Summer and into the Fall. Smoosh it in anywhere you have a small spot. Carrots can be planted BENEATH the tomatoes right now. Add more carrot seeds every 2 weeks in a different spot. Make it easy on yourself and do just 12 carrots under each tomato plant. Then when the tomato is dead snip it off at the soil line, do not yank up the root and disturb your carrots. Ditto beets, turnips and mustard. The mustard can be started in trays now if you wish, and do another batch in a month - it likes to mature in the cool weather. Turnips must get planted directly - again, find a small spot somewhere. All of the root veggies will keep nicely in the ground for gradual harvesting even after several frosts - cold improves the flavor. And don't forget radishes which only take 30 days to a harvest. Arugula is another great crop that loves very cool temperatures and you will be eating it 3 weeks after you plant - it comes up practically overnight. Start some "corn salad" also known as "mache" at the end of August and transplant when you have a spot ready. This produces smallish rosettes of elegant salad greens and it will re-sprout in the Spring. Don't forget spinach - start some in trays end of August and you should get a nice harvest by frost - also if you do not yank the root out the Bloomsdale variety will re-sprout in Spring too - so you get double duty. There's a lot more but this is just off my head at the moment. You will basically need to commit to starting seeds in July/August if you want to be ready with small transplants once those spaces are available.
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ruthieg__tx
16 years ago
The important thing is the date of your first expected frost...and the date that your summer garden finishes...If the summer thing is beyond any reasonable point...I'd start planting greens...and winter type things like turnips...and to the garlic..what I do is plant the garlic along the edge of a bed...you can still use the rest of the bed for your spring things without disturbing the garlic...it works good with onions and garlic.
fruithack
16 years ago
Red russian kale planted in August or September is my best winter crop.
lilacs_of_may
16 years ago
I may do that, border my beds with garlic this fall and leave the middle for other stuff.
raisemybeds
16 years ago
I guess it depends on how much garlic you want to grow. I have 150 head in this season, and still it is not enough. For some of us it makes sense to dedicate a whole bed to garlic. After all, what is better than garlic?
lilacs_of_may
16 years ago
Oh, I've ordered enough garlic for a very large dedicated bed, but I'm thinking of bordering the other beds with garlic as well. Sort of like garlic sentinals. I'm going to try interplanting marigolds as well.

what can I grow in my garden after summers harvest?

Violet_Z6

Comments (7)

raisemybeds

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