Panhandle Plantings-A new column by Master Gardener Val Ford
AUGUST, named by and for the Roman emperor Augustus to honor his accomplishments during the month -- including victory in three battles and the subjection of Egypt. Of course, none of this had anything to do with the fact that July had already been named in honor of Julius Caesar!
This is the “hump” month, the last of the warm season vegetables, the first of the cool season vegetables. Second crops of bush and pole beans, limas, sweet corn, cucumbers, southern peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes and watermelons are on the schedule. The fall garden can be started with broccoli and cauliflower, collards, bunch onions and turnips. Now is the time that most perennial flowers will begin recovering from the heat and humidity of the summer months. Daylilies, roses, zinnias, and cosmos will all give you one more flush of bloom before the fall frosts.
For those wanting something a little different this fall, try Victoria or Gaskin’s Perpetual rhubarb. Both varieties can be ordered from Territorial Seed Company. You can start the seedlings this month to be transplanted in mid- to late-September. In our area, frost protection may be required. Rhubarb has a deep root system and requires soil rich in organic matter, a perfect segue into my next topic . . .
Transitioning from spring/summer to fall/winter gardening requires some preparation, the first step of which is replenishing the organic matter in your garden or beds. Yes, I know you spent a small fortune on mushroom compost in February, but your garden has been producing since then, as well as dealing with the challenges of high temperatures and heavy sun -- all which contribute to the warp-speed breakdown of organic matter.
In an ideal world, you should add a minimum of one pound of compost for every square foot of garden space, at least three weeks prior to planting. If your garden “morphs” directly from summer to winter, be sure that your compost or organic amendment is FULLY decomposed. This will go a long way toward ensuring minimal burning to seedlings and transplants and maximum nourishment to the growing crop. Because no nutrients or oxygen are required in the breakdown process in the garden, everything will be utilized by the plants.
Words of wisdom: A worm is the garden’s unpaid helper. One ton of worms equals 100 tons of castings or 2/3 inch manure on the surface per acre per year.
Val Ford is a Holmes County Master Gardener. She is a three-time recipient of the Florida MG Award for Written Mass Communications for the weekly DeFuniak Springs Herald "Gardeners’ Dirt" column. If you have gardening questions or problems, contact your local County Extension Office, or Val at Flsnowflake7592@aol.com.
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