Midseason Gardening : what to plant when getting started

-by Ellen Goff

As the saying goes, “Time and the tide wait for no man.” No such rigid timetables rule the plant world. In fact, it’s called succes­sion planting — replanting crops after the previous ones have been harvested. In a midseason garden, it makes no difference to plants if they’re the first, second or even third crop. Some plants are less flexible than others, but many summer annual fowers, herbs and short- to midseason vegetables are quite happy to start up in mid summer.

First, do some calculating to determine your growing season’s length. Starting with the average date of the first frost in your area, count backward to determine how many frost-free days remain in the season. Then, subtract 14 days to compensate for shorter, cooler early fall days.

Plant selection might be the most difficult decision. Whatever space you have, make sure it has compost-enriched soil and full sun exposure for six to eight hours each day. Here are some suggested crops and the number of days they need to mature:

FAST-GROWING ANNUALS
Plant seeds. Species include cosmos (55 - 70), marigolds and nasturtiums (70 - 85), sunfowers (85 - 110) and zinnias (60 - 70).

HERBS
Purchase plants. The exception is basil (60 - 75), which should be planted from seed.

VEGETABLES
Plant seeds. These plants will welcome cooler temperatures as they mature: broccoli and caulifower (70 - 95), carrots (55 - 75), bush beans (45 - 55), collards (80 - 90), kale (60 - 70), leaf lettuce (30 - 45), peas (55 - 70), radishes (20 - 35) and spinach (45 - 55).

TOMATOES
Purchase plants. Select deter­minate varieties, which have vines that grow to a defned size, and then plant fruit that ripens at the same time in a fairly short harvest period (65 - 80). In hot summer climates, add several inches of mulch around each plant.

MAKE MORE PLANTS
July is the time to make soft­wood cuttings of spring- and sum­mer-fowering woody shrubs such as hydrangeas. First, cut off 6- to 8-inch tips of new growth on the plants’ side shoots. Trim so that the cutting is 3 to 4 inches long from the tip to just below a leaf joint or node. Remove the lowest leaves.

Next, dip 1 inch of the cut end into some hormone rooting powder. Then, in a pot or seed tray make a hole in the soil — one part peat moss and one part coarse sand — with a pencil and insert the cut­ting up to the lower leaves. Press the soil gently around the cutting. Water lightly and place a thin, clear plastic bag over it. Move outdoors into some bright shade but not direct sunlight. Remove the bag for about an hour several times a week.

You should see results in just weeks. The cuttings will have rooted when the tips start growing. At that point, remove the bag, and keep them out of direct sunlight for another month or two.

Ellen Goff is a master gardener and environmental advocate. Aside from writing about and photographing plants, Ellen tends to a 3-acre landscape she shares with her husband, cat and border collie on the shores of Lake Wylie, S.C.

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