When is the best time to plant cool-season crops? If you've been dreaming of fresh greens and lettuce although it's still hot outside, it's probably a good time to start planting your fall garden. The idea behind planting in the heat of summer is to give crops a chance to develop and mature during the cool days of fall. Master gardener Paul James demonstrates planting techniques and shares cultivation tips:
- The major challenge is getting seeds to germinate and grow in hot weather. Try placing seed packets in the refrigerator for a day or two to trick them into believing it's cool outside, then plant.
- You can also water the planting bed with a fine mist 30 minutes before you plant. The cool water serves to lower the soil temperature and create the conditions that cool-season crops prefer.
- If your planting bed is in the sun all day or the outside temperature is consistently high, you may want to use this technique to cool the soil down: water the bed well and cover it with several inches of straw, then water again. You can remove the straw after a few days and plant in the cool soil. You'll want to lightly mulch the bed after planting the seeds and keep the bed evenly moist until the seeds germinate. When the plants mature, apply a thick layer of mulch four to six inches deep. Finally, be prepared to water more often than usual--twice a day if necessary.
Planting Spinach Seeds
Wouldn't it be great to grow nutritious spinach for salads and side dishes in your garden? Follow these tips from master gardener Paul James and get started:
- Moisten the planting bed with a fine mist of water, then sow the spinach seeds evenly and cover them with 1/4 inch of sifted compost.
- Firm the soil with a metal rake to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.
- Cover the entire bed with sifted compost mixed with a little straw mulch.
- Soak the bed again with a fine mist and let the water seep to a depth of three or four inches.
- Never let the bed dry out--this means you may need to water twice a day during the heat of summer.
- After the seeds germinate and develop their first set of leaves, go back to watering with a more routine watering schedule.
- If you overseed the bed to compensate in case the germination rate drops due to the heat, be sure to thin the seedlings out when they begin to sprout. When the plants mature, apply a thick layer of mulch, perhaps to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
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