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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] good crops for fall market?

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: carrieshepard@yahoo.com, Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] good crops for fall market?
  • Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:19:01 -0400

Hi Carrie, I'm in zone 7 also, though there can be wide variations across the zone depending on exactly where you are.

You can plant the longer growing brassicas, like brussels sprouts and cauliflower, now. In another month, you could plant beets and turnips. I haven't tried carrots in the fall yet, but after reading Paul's post, I might. In September, I'll start the quick growing things like kale, collards and chard. And of course you can plant radishes pretty much any time, since they grow so fast. Onions and garlic should go in the ground in the fall too, so you'll have them in the spring.

I already have the second crop of lettuce started. It's in self-watering planters in an area that gets only morning sun, and I've had good luck doing it that way in the summer. The soil stays cool because it's always moist. The third crop of lettuce goes in cold frames in the beds where the warm weather things like tomatoes and peppers were growing.

I always start my fall seedlings under shadecloth, and I mist the planting beds very well every morning until the new seedlings have a couple of leaves. It takes a minimal amount of water to do this if you get out there before the sun hits the beds and evaporates half the water you're trying to put on your seedlings. When the seedlings are well established, I mulch the beds heavily, hook up the drip pipes, and leave them to go to it. If we're having a really hot spell, I might leave the shadecloth on a while longer, but raise it up so they get direct sun in the evening.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com





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