Cool Weather Is Gardener’s Paradise
The weather has finally decided to cooperate for Georgia gardeners by cooling off, and that means we can go outside again.
During those dog days of August (I even saw my cat panting a few weeks back, so it might just be the cat days of August, as well…), it just is too brutal to go outdoors and do any type of yard work. So…I don’t.
Instead, I lay low inside, rest from my labor from the spring and summer, and start thinking about my fall and winter garden plans.
Yet, before I attend to those plans, there are some chores that I can attend to in late summer. To begin with, I can continue to deadhead flowers. Deadheading is simply cutting off the dead flowers off of plants, allowing the plants to produce more flowers, instead of letting them go to seed. Zinnas and butterfly bushes are excellent plants to deadhead this time of year, as there is still plenty of time for these plants to produce more blooms.
During these early weeks of September is also a wonderful time to get the fall vegetable garden ready.
Sow seeds of carrots, lettuce, broccoli, collards, kale, radish, turnip, and spinach are excellent in the garden this time of year. If your garden has been dry the past month, make sure you get your seeds off to a good start with plenty of water in order to germinate.
Along with this, as it is more challenging to garden in the fall due to weed growth, ensure that your garden beds are free of weeds.
If you had a crop of asparagus this past spring, you know full well that your plants have grown long fern like foliage. Perhaps your asparagus bed is like mine, and your foliage is spilling over into other plants. Don’t cut them back just yet! Your asparagus needs that foliage in order to continue to gain nutrients for next spring’s feast. Instead, let the frost do the work for you.
The first frost of winter should kill back the foliage, and then you can cut the plants back to the ground. At that point, you can cover the bed with plenty of compost and mulch for next spring.
Stocking up on some bird feed is another great chore to attend to the next few weeks. As our feathered friends get ready to head north for the winter, they will be most appreciative of the extra bit of food you provide for them.
Plus, you may just attract new birds to your yard. All of this activity will grant you hours of entertainment and enjoyment for months to come.
There is a reason, after all, why bird feeding is one of our nation’s top hobbies. Enjoy!