Tips for fall planting

[Aya]

So I've pretty much decided my spring garden was mostly a learning experience for me this year as I havn't gotten a huge harvest compared to everyone who already has fruits/veggies. We have been having a very cool summer so far. We've only had a couple of days where the temperatures have been in the 80's. Its mostly been hovering around 60ish. I've managed to get some good lettuce, and spinach. I've had 1 pea pod on my plants (have a few more now) and havn't had any tomatoes at all. (Though I have little yellow flowers on both plants) Since we don't have super cold winters, I thought of maybe planting another crop of peas, and salad greens for fall. Would I start them inside again like we do in January to set out later? Or would I just direct seed? (Talking mostly about the peas). Also, could I plant a potato crop and still get some potatoes before the end of the season or are they a hot weather crop? I'd love to have a bunch of tomatoes, but I'm just not sure I'll get anything with the weather not cooperating.. any advice?

[Des_WA]

If we have a cool summer (like last year) my spring-planted peas wanted to go all season. You can definitely plant a fall crop by direct-sowing them, you shouldn't need to start them inside.

Tomatoes are a constant struggle in our area; I have several small green fruit but those are on tomato plants I started from seed in February and have spent way too much time caring for. It seems rare to get any tomatoes before July around here without extreme measures. Last year was awful and I only got maybe 10 tomatoes out of 30 plants. I wouldn't give up on them, though, it is still early and supposedly we're going to have a decent summer this year.

Potatoes I planted back in late March - they can take cool weather just fine. I'm not sure if you could still get away with planting them now; maybe an early variety would do well? We don't have particularly hot summers so you may be able to get away with it.

This year (after being scarred from last summer) I focused slightly more on cooler weather crops like peas, potatoes, onions, garlic and salad greens to hopefully have more success. I still another 30 tomato plants out of stubborn determination to get homemade salsa and sauces, though.

[Aya]

I planted a whole bunch of stuff this year...and all I think I have left are 3 tomatoes, 4 peas, 8 strawberries, and my carrots.
I need to plant more salad greens as the ones I got were awesome!

I still have a pumpkin planted in a container and a blueberry bush that seems to be doing okay. My golden raspberries don't seem to be doing much. Not growing, but not dying either...so idk. I WANT FRUIT!! Lol

[digitS']

Aya, I'd like to encourage you to try the potatoes or, find out more about whether they'd do okay. It isn't that I've any experience in this regard but I'd really like to know how well spuds do planted late. The early varieties are just so amazingly quick, I have to think that they just might work fine.

If so, it would make sense to head off to the organic section of the soopermarket to pick up some potatoes that are sprouting. Any conventionally raised spuds are just bound to have been treated with sprout-retardant. It might take rather sophisticated storage facilities to keep them from sprouting by cool temperature alone - I know that I couldn't pull it off in my basement.

Yes, a cool spring and probably continuing cool. . . . Don't forget about Asian greens to go either in your salad or in the pot! I grew Komatsuna last fall from a late August sowing and it was so tender and nice in October! The stuff is almost as nice right now! Baby bok choy is another that, I bet, can be grown just about 11 months out the year in your garden! But, local advice is best .

Steve

[Aya]

Thanks for the tips! I still have some seedling potatoes that I bought this spring that are sprouting like crazy even though I put them away with my other seeds so I was wondering if I could just plant them instead of them being wasted, as I didn't think they'd make it till next March.

[digitS']

I would have never gotten my seed potatoes to wait this late, Aya!

Yes, get them in the ground!

Steve