Planting now for a Fall Crop

August 1 is days away, and that means it's time to start planting for a fall crop.

Considerations:

Frost date: When you plant in the spring, you're concerned with the last frost date when figuring out timing. When planting for a fall harvest, you're thinking about the first date -- for us, it's October 13. This means that there's a 50% chance of a frost by this date. Some plants wilt at the first frost, like tomatoes, peppers and squash. Some plants taste better after the first frost, like kale and Brussels sprouts. And other plants are fine with some frost and can overwinter, like carrots -- although we don't have that opportunity at WFCG.

Days to Maturity: Once you have the first frost date, check your seed packets for days to maturity and add 3 weeks. Then count backwards from the first frost date to figure out when to plant. The extra three weeks is to compensate for the days getting shorter as we head into fall.

Pest control: Pests are in full swing by the time you're ready to plant for a fall harvest, so be prepared to protect your new seedlings with light row covers.

Shade: When transplanting seedlings during August, the sun can be pretty difficult. Try to provide shade by using row covers or plant the seedlings where there's some afternoon shade due to tall plants.

Start some seeds indoors: Some seeds won't germinate in hot soil, that's the bad news. The good news is that your west or south windowsill may now have enough light to germinate seeds indoors. Cabbage and broccoli are two that need to be started indoors.

The following planting list is from Urban Farmer (ufseeds.com).

August

August is an ideal time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is the time to plant these vegetables and herbs.

Beans:
Start planting both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up. Try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different varieties. This will give you continual bean crops and not one large harvest with wasted crop. Early August is the last practical sowing date.

Suggested variety: Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Topcrop

 

Cover Crops:

A great way to add nutrients to your soil for the following year is by growing winter cover crops this fall. Start in August so they get some good growth before winter comes. [THIS IS A GREAT IDEA FOR EMPTY PATCHES -- WILL ADD NITROGEN TO SOIL FOR FOLLOWING YEAR AND SUPPRESSES WEEDS]

Suggest variety: Winter Cover Crops

Cucumbers
Fast growing vine or bush cucumber plants can produce an abundance of cucumber fruits. Be careful to pick a variety for the space you have in your garden. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties.
Suggest variety: Spacemaster 80, Muncher, Marketmore 76

Kale 
Planting kale mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter. 
Suggested variety: Dwarf Blue

Lettuce 
Sow lettuce in August for a fall crop. Try growing early harvest varieties that will produce a harvest before cold weather rolls in.
Suggested Varieties: Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl

Peas 
Green peas and sugar peas are good to plant in August, and will produce a moderate fall harvest.
Suggested variety: Sugar Ann

Radish
A quick and easy vegetable to grow. Plant now and you can have them ready in 30 days.
Suggested variety: Cherry Belle

Spinach 
Spinach is more of a cool weather vegetable and is great to grow in August.
Suggested variety: Bloomsdale, Samish

The following chart is from Mother Earth News:

VEGETABLES	Sow Indoors	Sow Outdoors	Transplant
Arugula		XXX
Beet		XXX
Broccoli			XXX
Brussels sprouts			XXX
Cabbage			XXX
Carrot		XXX
Cauliflower			XXX
Chard		XXX
Chinese cabbage		XXX	XXX
Collards		XXX
Endive		XXX
Kale		XXX	XXX
Kohlrabi		XXX	XXX
Lettuce	XXX	XXX	XXX
Mustard		XXX
Peas		XXX
Radish		XXX
Scallion (green onion)			XXX
Sorrel		XXX
Spinach		XXX
Turnip		XXX

Cover Crops	Sow Indoors	Sow Outdoors	Transplant
Alfalfa		XXX
Buckwheat		XXX
Cowpeas		XXX
Mustard		XXX
Oats		XXX
Radish		XXX
Sunflower		XXX

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/what-to-plant-now-august-central-midwest-great-plains-gardening-region.aspx#ixzz38yS0U1a5

Colder than usual August?

The past month has been a wacky one -- luckily, when my AC died, it was only 65 degrees that day, which is crazy for July in Chicago!

But really -- according to our state climatologist, this July is the second coldest on record. We saw how our veg reacted -- some like it (lettuce), some thought meh (tomatoes), and some gave up the ghost after one too many temp shifts (broccoli and cauliflower).

Does it mean anything for August's forecast?

According to Jim Angel, our climatologist, a colder-than-average July leads to a colder-than-average August, sometimes by several degrees. Our beginning of August forecasts also look like cooler than average temps.

For our gardens, this may mean continued slow growth -- what can look like no growth at times -- for tomatoes, eggplant, squash and other heat-loving veg. It could be nice for greens like lettuce, which usually don't handle August heat well.

Kale: A How To from The Peterson Garden Project

Kale is growing beautifully in our garden right now. It's a an easy to grow, healthy cruciferous green, with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cholesterol-lowering properties.

For a better understanding of when to harvest, how to cook, and best ways to preserve, check out the PGP's page on this powerhouse green. I was in the process of writing my own post on this topic when I found PGP's, and well, why recreate the wheel when PGP did it so well?

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The Peterson Garden Project is a a Chicago-based non-profit which builds community gardens in the style of 20th century victory gardens. Lead by inspiring LaManda Joy, the PGP has built 8 community gardens with 1,039 plots, 800 volunteers, and over 3,000 gardeners. It's an outstanding organization with tremendous resources.

One of those resources is WeCanGrowIt.org, a web page with posts about gardening, cooking with fresh produce, and their community garden program.

Epsom Salt as a Natural Fertilizer

For those of you growing peppers or tomatoes who have noticed yellowing in the leaves of your veggies, or simply are looking for a way to produce bigger fruit, look no further. The answer to your problems? Epsom salt.

Epsom salt, also known as Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), is commonly used as bath salts or for foot soaks, but it is also ideal for gardening. Magnesium is the central atom of chlorophyll, and therefore essential for its production in plants.

Molecular structure of chlorophyll

If there is a lack of magnesium, the plant will begin to break down chlorophyll in the older leaves first, and transport the magnesium to the younger leaves, which have a greater demand for chlorophyll. When a plant is deficient in magnesium, yellowing will occur between the veins of older leaves first. A lack of magnesium will also cause fruits to be small, and woody.

Magnesium deficiency in a raspberry plant 

To use on your vegetables and fruits, Epsom salt can either be directly applied in the hole when planting veggies, or sprinkled around the plant at the base and re-applied every two weeks. Epsom salt can also be made into a solution and be sprayed directly onto the leaves of the plant (if you've noticed me spraying my peppers over in plot CE2, I've been applying an Epsom solution in hopes of bigger, better peppers!). While Epsom salt is great for peppers and tomatoes, it works great on pretty much any plant (including roses) and especially those in well-drained soils lacking in organic material (the magnesium in the soil quickly leaches out) or acidic soils.

If you need help identifying whether or not you have a magnesium deficiency in your plants, here's a link to a blog post on nutrient deficiencies I posted a few weeks ago.

Epsom Salt Recommendations for Gardening

Stephanie Stiglmeier
Community Garden Intern

The Japanese Beetle

Besides  backseat drivers and people who litter, there is nothing that annoys me more than the Japanese Beetle.

Japanese Beetles are composed of 25% hatred, 25% annoyance, and 50% pure evil

These pests are a huge problem both in the garden and in landscaping. They were first found in the United States in 1916 in New Jersey. They were thought to have been transported here in a shipment of Iris bulbs from Japan prior to 1912. The beetle has quickly spread to every state east of the Mississippi River.

The larva of these beetles, commonly known as a grub worm, feed on the roots of turf grass and can cause serious damage if left untreated. There are grub-killing products available, which commonly come in a powdered form.

The root of evil

The adults, however, are the focus for us here in the garden as they are starting their annual feasting. 

Creatures of mass destruction

Japanese beetles feast one over 200 species of plants, including beans, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, hops, roses, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, corn, peas, and blueberries. Once an adult beetle finds a tasty food source, it releases a pheromone that attracts other beetles. 

Japanese Beetles are having a party.... all over your bean plants

The population on the food source rapidly increases, and the adults will begin mating, all while they skeletonize the leaves of the plant. The beetles are also known to feed on the fruit of the plant when it is available. The damage caused by the beetles can be extensive, and can quickly kill or seriously damage a plant. 

So how do we stop these menaces? Easy. Soapy water. Simply take a small pail, fill it with water, add a couple drops of soap. Then bury these nasty pests in a watery grave.

Die! Return from whence you came!

You could also make a soapy solution (using organic, liquid dish soap as discussed in Handling the Cucumber Beetle Organically) and spray it directly on the beetles if you don't want to touch them. The spray also gives you the added benefit of watching them wither around as they slowly suffocate (bwahahahaha).

Suds of death

Please, PLEASE, only use organic soap when making a spray solution, and if you're going to drown them in a bucket (and use non-organic soap), please dump it out at home, away from the garden. 

Also, please do not use a Japanese Beetle Trap. These traps are not very effective, and contain pheromones which attract more beetles than they actually trap as the beetles are very clumsy flyers and have a hard time landing in the trap.

Noneffective Japanese Beetle trap

Wiki Article on Japanese Beetles, including a complete list of host plants (plants that the beetles will feed on)

Stephanie Stiglmeier

Community Garden Intern

* NOTE FROM JEN: One plant that seems to get decimated by the beetle -- but actually survives an onslaught pretty well -- is the mighty eggplant. I've had plants with lace leaves still produce a ton of eggplants. This isn't reason to let the beetles live -- no, I'm with Stephanie in my desire to squash them all to smithereens -- but just a note that you might not have to pull out an eggplant that looks like it was attacked. If it's putting up new leaves and flowering, it'll fruit, even with lacy leaves.

Putting Food Scraps to Work

 

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and it's finally here -- food scrap composting in the Wagner Farm Community Garden!

I know, it may not be so exciting for everyone else. I'm a nut for composting, though. I've got cold bins, turned bins, and a worm bin at home. I read Biocycle magazine. I've closely followed the changes in Illinois law that now allow us to bring in a limited amount of off-site food scraps. And with the help of camp kids, I've installed my worm bin with 500 red wiggler worms on the demo plot. Let the food scrap composting being!

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So how to compost your scraps here at WFCG:

The food composting bins are located on the south fence and have clear signs on them. (see above)

Please carefully read the lists below of what you can compost and what you can't -- bringing in items on the CAN'T list will attract critters, cause noxious smells, and ruin the batch. If in doubt -- text me.

Items you can compost here:

• Used coffee grounds and coffee filters
• Banana peels, apple cores, ends of celery & carrots & greens, moldy grapes
• Egg shells
• Stale bread, bagels and crackers

Items you CANNOT compost here:

• Anything dairy or with dairy on it (like cheese, butter, yogurt, buttered toast)
• Anything oily or with oil on it (like salad with dressing)
• Fruit pits
• CITRUS*
• ONIONS*
• Meat or bones
• WEEDS

Please note: NO CITRUS OR ONIONS. People differ on whether or not they put citrus and onions in their bins, but I'm opting for not. I compost a little of both at home, but too much in a bin can overbalance it, and since this is the first time we're trying food scrap composting here, I'm erring on the side of caution.

Also keep in mind -- these bins ARE NOT FOR WEEDS. I've noticed people leaving weeds in them (signs notwithstanding), and I've even found trash in them (again, please read the signs on the top).

Trash removed from the food scrap bins one month ago

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Feel free to take a peek in the can-o-worms bin on the demo plot. Only Stephanie and I will be adding food to this bin -- worms are easily overwhelmed!

How the can-o-worms works

I'll post more about food scrap composting and the worm bin later.

Let the composting begin!

Classes at Wagner Farm -- REMINDER

Some cool classes coming up here at Wagner Farm -- register online here or sign up at Park Center.

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409309 - DIY Food Preservation & Photography - July 22, 6-7:30 ($30 for resident, $37 for non-res)

Participants will work with Jill Houk, cookbook author, and a Glenview-based chef in this fun cooking class! Chef Houk will teach easy food preservation techniques for all your seasonal vegetables. Next, take your culinary skills to a whole new level with Chicago-based photographer, Angie Garbot. Angie will teach you all about food photography and how to make beautiful food labels-a great way to impress your friends and make special gifts! Ages 16-Senior




409409 - Jars, Jams & Jellies - August 5, 6-8pm ($30 for residents, $37 for non-residents)

How would you like to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables all year long? Chef Toni Salazar Camphouse will teach participants how to make jellies, jams, and other canning delights. Price includes all food and canning supplies. Ages Adult-Senior

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I've signed up for the Food Preservation class for July. I bought Jill's book because I wanted to learn more ways to preserve the food I grow in the garden. It's a really cool book, and I look forward to learning more from Jill in the class.

I've taken the canning class with Chef Toni before -- she's terrific, and I had a blast in this hands-on class. I've done a little canning at home but hope to do more this fall.

MOWING IS ONLY SUNDAYS NOW

We've moved from twice a week mowing to once a week -- Sundays from 9:30-11am. The garden is now open Wednesday mornings during the previous mowing time.

We may have to add a second mowing occasionally -- I'll let you know on the blog.

Thanks!

Warm and Wet June -- and a note about weeds

I can't remember a July 4th that was as mild as yesterday. Isn't Taste of Chicago coming to town soon? Doesn't that mean our temps should be 100+?

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Looking back at June, our state climatologist, Jim Angel, tells us that it was the 8th wettest June on record, and that 4 of the 5 previous Junes have been wetter than average. The exception -- 2012, our drought year.

We've gotten close to 8" of rain in our area in June -- 4" above our average. No wonder the weeds are growing gangbusters.

I've gone easy on weeds -- sending out just unofficial weed warnings -- because of the mud. As we -- hopefully -- get drier, and our plants start to produce, I'm going to get tougher about weeds. I'm not concerned with tiny ones, or ones here and there -- I'm concerned when it doesn't look like someone is tending to their plot.

So don't worry about having a spotless plot -- unless that's how you like to garden. Handle the biggest weeds first, especially along the edges. If you're overwhelmed by the number of weeds, look at your weed handout and pick one easily-identified weed and just pick that. Once you've started clearing some space, it will be easier to see what other weeds are around -- and leave your intended veg alone.

When in doubt -- ask me and Stephanie to take a look!

What to plant now?

It's just about July, and people are beginning to ask -- can I still plant... beets, cucumbers, squash?

The quick answer -- yes. If you view gardening as an experiment, and you acknowledge that the only consistency about our weather this season has been its inconsistency, then this answer is the right one.

However, there are guidelines for what to plant when -- and a terrific app.

First, what to plant now. I'm going to hit the basics. Here's what the When to Plant app (from Mother Earth News) told me:

Arugula, lima beans, pole beans, beets, bok choy, borage, cabbage, carrots, celery, chili peppers, Chinese cabbage, chives, cilantro, collards, dill, endive, fennel, kohlrabi, lettuce, mache, okra, parsley, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radicchio, radish, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tatsoi, tomatillos and zucchini.

Here's what my experience tells me about this list:

1. Arugula, lettuce, peas, and spinach need partial afternoon shade, to full afternoon shade. Otherwise, these guys will bolt (go to flower and get bitter). I find peas don't handle August temperatures well, so I almost never would grow them now. Lettuce would be a good thing to tuck on the east side of big, bushy tomato plants, or under a squash/cucumber trellis.
2. Swiss chard, collards, tatsoi, and mache are great greens for handling the heat of August. 
3. Spring radishes are slightly sweeter than mid-summer-planted radishes, but I always have radishes growing in my garden because they come up so quickly and act as row markers. 
4. We haven't (knock on wood) had a terrible year with cucumber beetles, so I'm still going to put summer squash, winter squash (not on the list above) and cucumbers (also not on the list) in the soil. Worth a shot, and I already have the seeds. I might even try transplants of these usually not transplantable veg because they're on the sale. Which brings me to #5.
5. Nurseries are putting their veg and herb seedlings on sale. This is a great time to pick up more pepper, eggplant, tomato and herb plants to fill out your garden. Whole Foods usually stops selling seedlings on July 4th, so if that's your choice of vendor, head there quickly. 
6. Not to repeat #5, but really, THIS IS MY FAVORITE WEEK TO BUY PLANTS. I've spent several years growing mostly donated seedlings -- all put in the ground on Independence Day -- and they've always done well. I'm heading out today to see what I can pick up to round out the demo plot -- heading to Lurveys, Pesches, Whole Foods and Chalet.

So this is a screenshot from my phone using the When to Plant app. I purchased this app a year ago, and it's been invaluable. The app figures out my location and gives me options about what info I want to see. I clicked on "Plant Now" and got this list.

In the list, you can see an arrow on the right. When you click on that arrow, you get more info on the individual plant. For example -- 

The following is a screenshot from the in-site guide on motherearthnews.com.

KEEP IN MIND: different guidelines may not agree as to when something should be planted. This is ok -- this is life. Take each recommendation with a grain of salt, and as you continue to garden, you'll develop experience and confidence in working with differing recommendations.

Check out the iphone app here -- it's $1.99 and for Apple products. However, Mother Earth News' interactive guideline (picture just above) is free and available here.

** Quick note: I am not paid to promote Mother Earth News, Apple products, or, gee, anything. I get excited about stuff that makes gardening easier, and I like to share it with you.