August 2007 (Our newsletters are all copyright The Tasteful Garden 2003-2007 if you would like to reprint any of this information please let us know by email.)
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Along with the most extreme weather conditions, there usually follows a time of milder, less extremes that can be the best gardening time of all. We started out the season with 12 weeks or more of drought conditions, almost no rainfall at all during that time. Now we are getting regular summer rain and less humidity which results in some perfect fall gardening weather. We call it fall gardening because that is when we plan to harvest, not when we plant. This timing is crucial to make sure that we actually get a crop before cold temperatures freeze the fruits. Most fall vegetables, especially the leafy types such as Spinach, Brassicas, such as Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, Greens and Lettuces are cold hardy and will withstand a frost but hard freezes in winter will stop their growth completely.
Our fall vegetables have just exploded this year with growth and although we had planned to begin shipping on August 20th, these perfect cooler conditions have made them ready a few weeks earlier. We have our entire line of fall plants ready for shipment this week and we will continue shipping through September. If you are having the same weather as we are, this is the best time to plant. If you are up north, planting now is essential for timing your fall growing season as your first frost date may
be as early as October 1st.
Our second summer tomatoes are still available although some varieties are temporarily sold out until our next batch is ready in 2 weeks. You should plant fall tomatoes at least 80-90 days before your first frost date in the fall.
We are offering seeds for a few selected items including our beautiful salad mixes which are perfect for baby greens salads. The mixes we have are easy to grow by sprinkling seeds either in pots or into a prepared area in the garden and they will grow quickly enough to have a salad in about 4 weeks! Our spicy mix contains greens with a little more kick. We also have seeds available to grow Fava Beans this fall!
Try something new from The Tasteful Garden...where its all about the flavor..
Compost in the Garden
Get more compost into your garden, without the back breaking work.
There is a way to add manure to your garden without shoveling it and struggling with all that heavy lifting. Plant your manure!... green manure that is. Plants that can dig deeply into hard soil, plants that pull out nitrogen from the air and add it to your soil, and plants that break down quickly to add organic matter to the soil are all very desirable ways to add "manure" to the garden.
Once they have done their jobs, mow them down and till them into the soil for maximum results. Even if you only plant them for the winter and then cut them down, they will protect your garden from weed seeds and keep the soil healthy for next spring's planting.
These techniques are commonly used by organic and sustainable farmers all over the world on large scale farms but are also great for small areas. Just a little winter rye grass can be a great annual planting that will keep your garden weed free next summer. Plants in the legume family will bring in extra nitrogen that is stored in the garden until needed later.
A green manure crop grown over fall and winter also prevents the soil from eroding and prevents winter compaction. A cover crop should be tilled under about a month before you plant your garden in springtime. This can be a problem for gardeners in areas where the soil stays wet in early spring. In these areas, plant your cover crop early so that it can be tilled under in late fall to decompose over winter. The damage done by working wet soil can outweigh the benefits of the green manure.
Before planting, clean up the garden area and remove all old debris. Rake the soil to remove clumps, and sow the seeds when rain is expected. Let them grow and turn them under as directed in the chart below.
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Cover Crop
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When to Sow
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When to Turn Under
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| Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) |
spring or fall | summer or spring |
| Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) |
spring or fall | fall or spring |
| Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) |
spring or fall | fall or spring |
| Soybeans (Glycine max) |
spring or summer | summer or fall |
| White sweetclover (Melilotus alba) |
any time | any time |
| Yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) |
any time | any time |
| Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) |
late spring or summer | summer or fall |
| Oats (Avena sativa) |
spring or fall | spring, summer or fall |
| Rape (Brassica napus) |
spring or summer | summer or fall |
| Sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense) |
late spring or summer | summer or fall |
| Winter rye (Secale cereale) |
fall | spring |
Read more about cover cropping at these links:
http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/composting/greenmanure.asp
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002080423030611.html
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html
Here is a recipe that is healthy and delicious!
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This recipe can be made using the "new fangled" pouches that are being sold in grocery stores now or just use heavy duty foil folded up tightly. It can be cooked on the grill or baked in the oven. Of course just about any vegetables can be substituted along with peppers, herbs and spices to add heat and flavor. 2 large tomatoes, quartered (use Roma type or other firm meaty tomato or you can use other tomato types just squeeze out most of the juice before adding them to the recipe.) |
New Books in our catalog:
Our Tasteful Garden Produce Market --Heirloom Tomatoes Now Available!
The Tasteful Garden produce store here in our small town of Heflin, Alabama is just 1 mile North off exit 199 of I-20 at Highways 9 and 78. Our small local store is bursting at the seams with wonderful fresh produce such as Heirloom Tomatoes, Watermelons, Fresh Sweet Corn, Beans, Scuppernongs, Peaches and Okra. Call us for special orders of quantities of fruit or vegetables for canning. Lots of great Apple varieties will be in stock by mid August from the north Georgia mountains.
We hope you all will come and visit as you are passing through on I-20. Our main goal is to provide healthy vegetables to our community and provide a support market for all of the local farmers in our area. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 9-5:30 Fridays till 6:00 and Sunday 12-5pm. Click here for maps to
both our locations.
We hope you enjoy your garden harvest,
Cindy & George Martin
Vegetable Garden in a pouch