Cool Weather

The weather has really cooled off the past two weeks, and it appears that fall is upon us. In fact, this summer was rather an enjoyable one, temperature wise. It seems that we were spared the brutal dog days of summer that usually hover over our state.

So, with the advent of the cooler weather, I decided to get my garden bed ready for the fall crop of vegetables. After taking out the summer crop of tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, herbs, and cucumbers, I placed a layer of compost down, with straw on top of that. The straw will act as a mulch, keeping weeds at bay, with the added benefit of decaying into the soil, thus adding nutrients to it.

Then, it was time to plant. There are so many wonderful veggies to plant this time of year in our neck of the woods. Just because the warmer weather is behind us, don’t think you can’t enjoy the harvest of home grown vegetables.

One of my wife’s favorite vegetables in the garden this time of year is broccoli, though her Australian accent would pronounce it different than you would. Broccoli is a wonderful source for vitamins A, C, and K, and is also known to have anti-cancerous nutrients. Growing it is really quite easy in the South, and needs full sun.

Another favorite amongst my family, and probably yours, is lettuce, and this, too, is quite easy to grow, and rather maintenance free. Lettuce needs to be planted in full sun, and is an excellent plant to grow in a container, if you do not have room in your yard. You can begin harvesting lettuce around 65 days after planting.

Another winter veggie used for cancer treatment, in Europe, is the beet root, and it, too, is easy to grow. As the beet will grow down into the soil, it is important to have loose soil that is well drained. This is an excellent veggie for canning.

Other wonderful vegetables grown this time of year include cabbage, peas, turnips, radishes, chard, kale, and Popeye’s favorite strength inducer, spinach.

While all of these veggies can be grown by sowing seeds directly into your bed, you may also buy young plants from your favorite local garden store. Either way, the harvest you place upon your table will be an extremely rewarding one.

As most of your neighbor’s gardens become vacant and barren this time of year, you can have a bountiful crop of healthy foods, grown organically and chemical free. Along with that, your wallet will benefit by saving money during these trying economical times. And, if you should have too many for yourself, you can always share with your neighbors.

For questions about your garden, you can contact John DeGarmo at ilikeboom@hotmail.com.