Mid-South: September 2015

Hi everyone!  Don't know about your area, but things seem to be starting to cool down a bit.  Yesterday we MIGHT have hit 80 degrees.  Today it's supposed to be in the mid-upper 80's again, but it's progress, lol!

According to Gardenate.com, there are plenty of things we can plant for our fall gardens:

Planting now in September for the USA - Zone 7b zone

Beans - broad beans, fava beans  (also Fava bean)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from January.
Beetroot  (also Beets)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Cabbage	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Carrot	Plant in garden.	Harvest from January.
Cauliflower	Plant in garden.	Harvest from February.
Celeriac	Plant in garden.	Harvest from January.
Chives  (also Garden chives)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Collards  (also Collard greens, Borekale)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Garlic	Plant in garden.	Harvest from February.
Kohlrabi	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Leeks	Plant in garden.	Harvest from January.
Lettuce	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Mustard greens  (also gai choy)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.
Onion	Plant in garden.	Harvest from April.
Pak Choy  (also Pak choi)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.
Radish	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.
Rocket  (also Arugula/Rucola)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.
Rutabaga  (also Swedes)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from January.
Spinach  (also English spinach)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.
Spring onions  (also Scallions, Bunching onions, Welsh onion)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from December.
Turnip	Plant in garden.	Harvest from November.

You'll notice that they recommend direct planting for all of these.

The Old Farmer's Almanac gives us the following chores for this month:

Gardening Tips for the Southeast Region for September
Location:
ZIP/Postal Code or City,State
Month:JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec


Continue to harvest peppers and tomatoes and start keeping an eye out for possible frost.
Harvest herbs and store in a cool, dry place.
Clean out your vegetable garden once the plants have stopped producing. Remove any that were susceptible to disease and insects.
This month usually brings mild weather. Plant or transplant cool-weather crops such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips.
With new transplants, be sure to water deeply (not lightly) every morning.
Add organic matter to all planting areas. Be sure there's an inch-thick layer of mulch on your garden beds to control weeds.
Add leaves and organic material to your compost pile.
Cut back and remove old flower stalks from your annuals. Refertilize them to encourage one more color before the winter.
Start preparing your flower beds for the planting of cool-season annuals.
Now is a good time to plant woody ornamentals because they have time to establish themselves before the spring.
Divide and replant perennials and bulbs that have become overcrowded or too large.
No more pruning your shrubs or trees, unless it is necessary. Pruning may encourage new growth to occur, which might be damaged during the winter.
Divide and replant crowded perennials. This is the last month to plant any new perennials and biennials.
Move your houseplants back indoors.
For healthy grass, avoid weed and feed products. Only apply herbicides to areas with weed infestations.
Fertilize lawns this month. Use a controlled-release nitrogen.


September is also National Preparedness Month.  Please be sure to check your state's Emergency Management Agency's website for information to keep your family prepared for natural disasters (& civil unrest).  Here in GA, that web address is:

http://ready.ga.gov/

Happy Gardening!  Marie

Thanks so much for posting this Marie.  I'm going to try fennel again (Walter Reeves says I can plant end of summer... so I'm thinking I might be able to get away with it).

I've got some peat moss outside in a wheelbarrow.  I just drenched and fluffed it... I'm letting it mellow for a bit before I start making up some beds.

I'm loving the somewhat cooler weather.  My plants are too... many are getting a second wind.

Unfortunately, I've got so many things going right now that I haven't been able to get out there...  You'd think that since I work from home that I'd make the time! 

These are so helpful. I keep getting confused. The seed pack dates plus a planting guide from our state Ag and this all have different dates! I guess I just have to plant stuff and see what works.

Swilliams0416 wrote:These are so helpful. I keep getting confused. The seed pack dates plus a planting guide from our state Ag and this all have different dates! I guess I just have to plant stuff and see what works.

It certainly is confusing, isn't it? Make a note of the date you plant the seeds so you know what to do next year.  Says one who preaches but seldom practices.

Hello SWilliams.  Don't think we've "met" before...  Welcome (back?)!

FINALLY got out there to mow the hayfield that I call my garden...  And lo & behold it looks like everything has decided to start setting again!

Picked a bunch of the bigger Amish Paste tomatoes to ripen inside.  Left the littler ones to get some more growth.  Got some yellow baby bells & some banana peppers.

I'm having to go out of town on Tuesday am for about a week, so hopefully the tomatoes I picked will be ripened by the time I get back.  And maybe the other small tom's & the peppers will be ready for picking again.

Kelejan wrote:

Swilliams0416 wrote:These are so helpful. I keep getting confused. The seed pack dates plus a planting guide from our state Ag and this all have different dates! I guess I just have to plant stuff and see what works.

It certainly is confusing, isn't it? Make a note of the date you plant the seeds so you know what to do next year.  Says one who preaches but seldom practices.

Heheh, ditto!

HAHA!  Says the OCD who comes up with this DETAILED spreadsheet & doesn't use it...

That is a good idea. So far everything I have planted for fall is either not germinating, dampening off, wilting badly, or just in a state of nope it is too hot to grow. I am working on a planting chart for next year. I am thinking about starting everything inside. This seems to work the best. 

This is only the second year of our garden. It was way better than last year but still not where it should be. I think our mild drought  conditions hurt a lot and being one of the hottest summers. Anyone ever have a problem with peat growing in their beds? I thought it was a bit strange. 

Our compost has to be the best thing to come out of our gardening this year. We were having a hydrophobic issue (store bought soil because last year I was pregnant and well lazy). So we went into compost mode. We had never made it before. There is so much out there about the "right way" to do it we just said we would wing it. So we took some info from here and there to find what worked for us. We have sifted 2 18 gal totes so far. We still have about one more to go. It isn't enough to fix all the beds but it is a start. 

Better luck next year   

Swilliams, I'm so sorry your fall planting didn't work out. I've lost spring plants to dampening off. This spring I waited until later when the Mel's Mix was warm and dry enough and avoided it. I don't mean the mix was dry, just that it had a chance to become moist instead of soggy wet from spring rains. If you had moss growing in the bed, it was probably too wet. I get moss in the flower beds on the North side of the house during winter when the sun is in the southern horizon. Starting seedlings a few weeks before setting out, both spring and fall, can help make sure the seeds can sprout. It's good you are focusing on compost as it is the back bone of a good mix.

Agree with Sanderson about the compost!  And I've had damping off issues myself...

If you want a copy of my spreadsheet, just send me a PM with your email.  Just keep in mind about the detailed part, lol!

I'm definitely noticing that dawn is coming later & dark is coming earlier...  

Got rain last night/today for the first time in a while...!  Thankfully I was able to take the time to mow the yard while it was dry.  The last couple of mowings were miserable because of heavy dews that just didn't lift.  (I'd REALLY like to convert all of our 1/3 acre to SFG & get rid of the grass!)

DH & I are getting ready for our local Preparedness Fair on Sunday.  They asked us to do a canning demo & show our go-bags.  No SFG, but I'm thinking I'll take my display anyway...

Rant, Rant, Rant

I am sick of this rainy cloudy weather.  Where is the sun.  My poor lettuce I planted in cell packs are turning lime green waiting for me to transplant them.  I refuse to get out the grow lights at this time of year.  Where is the sun.  The forecast shows cloudy rainy weather for another 5 days and it has already been overcast for about 5 days.  A couple of days ago I actually planted my spinach transplants while it was drizzling rain.  Nothing in my garden is growing.  It is just sitting there waiting for the cold weather to freeze it.  We need some sun and warmth or the fall crops will be a bust.  We are only getting about .20 inches of rain a day but it is still cloudy all day.

YEP!  I agree wholeheartedly, Yolos!  Days are getting shorter, no sun, I'm going into my SAD phase earlier than anticipated....

I DID get out to the garden for a few moments yesterday.  Picked a grocery bag full of (mostly) green, big Amish paste tomatoes, some bells, and some banana peppers.  But today it's back to misting, etc.

Rain, rain, GO AWAY!!!!!!!

I need a break from the sun and a little rain. You guys need sun and a break from the rain.

Yeah, here too, we really needed some rain...getting a bit today. Irony=weather

Hope that hurricane does not hit the Mid Atlantic states.  Most predictions are for it to hit but one prediction shows it bending away from the coast.