A Dozen Crops to Plant in Summer for Refreshing Fall Harvests
Let’s not kid ourselves: summer is almost over. Okay, not quite. We still have the dog days of August to get through, not to mention the unavoidable attempt of weeds to do a hostile takeover in the fields during July, but then—THEN—it’s fall. Sweet, crisp fall, with its deep evening light, cool mornings and palpable anticipation of the quiet restfulness of winter. But, by the time September hits, the farmers market can be feeling a little stale. With the on-set of cool weather, there are some exciting crops you can plant that will do well in the late season and revitalize your market stand to get you excited about sharing your bounty with customers:
Radishes.
The perfect quick-maturing fall crop, radishes will add a splash of colors and a refreshing simplicity to your offerings. Try pairing Celesta F1 and Pearl for a nice color contrast, or D’avignon for a gourmet specialty option. Radishes mature in 20-30 days, so they’re perfect for filling in a newly empty bed after a summer crop comes out: i.e., pull out summer squash, prep and amend the bed, and direct sow radishes. In less than a month, you’ll have a beautiful, healthy crop you can harvest until frost.Greens.
Another quick-growing option, cool-weather greens offer lots of variety. Shanghai Green Pac Choy does well in the fall, and can be displayed with Vivid Choi Pac Choy for a beautiful, refreshing presentation. Tokyo Bekana Asian Greens are versatile and love cool weather; plant them in tight rows and harvest as a vibrant green baby leaf, or let them mature to full size and cut at the base for bunching. Yukina Savoy Asian Greens are an amazing late season variety, and can likewise be harvested young or up until they reach full size. Sow them in your empty onion beds for efficient plantings; their heat tolerance will hold up in later summer and offer a beautiful, fresh green once September hits.Carrots.
Capitalize on the back-to-school mindset and plan for baby carrots to market as a school snack. Yaya F1 does especially well, sizing up to snacking length by September when sown in July. Napoli F1 is another great choice that gives you the option for overwintering as well. Offer baby carrots for the kids (perfect for sticking in lunch boxes) and full size for the parents! Visit our storage carrots fall planting guide blog post for the specifics of when and how to sow your fall carrot beds.Cauliflower.
Fall is the supreme season for cauliflower. In some regions, it’s the only season you can get a good head – so don’t miss your opportunity. Planning seedlings now and transplanting over the summer will result in lush heads ready for harvesting on cool fall mornings. Adona F1 and Skywalker F1 are a couple of our favorite varieties that can withstand the heat at the tail end of summer and still produce beautiful crowns.Broccoli.
Similar to cauliflower, the best broccoli heads come in the fall. Belstar F1 is a nice, flexible option that offers heat tolerance for the hot days at the end of summer and a long harvest window (10-14 days) without early bolting. Compact plants do well in a variety of spaces.
Categories: Variety Highlights & Commercial Growing
Posted On: June 27 2017
Posted By: High Mowing Organic Seeds
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Good information.
K : )