Late Summer and Fall Gardening

Hello September!

You’ve got me thinking about Gardens and Gardening. Late summer through early fall is a great time to be outside getting dirty. As the temperatures cool and the leaves start falling it is so pleasant here in the mountains.

Transitioning into the fall garden, remove expired annuals from your summer beds. This will open space for planting your bulbs and any new shrubs or trees.

Crops such as beets, Swiss chard, kale, and kohlrabi can all be sown at the beginning of September. Chinese cabbage, parsley, peas, and turnips can all be sown in the second week of September. Leaf lettuce can be planted until October 1st and mustard greens and radishes will still have time to grow if in the ground by October 15th.

With a simple hoop cover greens can survive past the frost and into the winter!

How important are the gardening conditions of your property to you? Do you grow plants in pots, raised beds, or regular garden beds? Is your gardening style more playful or well-ordered? What kind of flowers, trees, or crops do you prefer to grow? How does the changing seasons affect your gardening choices?

• Container Garden Basics from a Plant Lady

  NC ARBORETUM

• DYK - Buncombe County plant hardiness zones include areas from 5b to 7a! The lower the zone number, the colder the zone. To find your specific hardiness zone use the USDA interactive map:

• DYK - We have Master Gardener℠ volunteers in Buncombe County who work with NC State Extension to provide gardeners with unbiased, science-based information on garden and landscape practices.

We are so lucky to have the rhythm of four seasons yet still have an ample growing season. Plant some greens - your future self will thank you!