As we hit the home stretch of meteorological summer, it's time to ponder the fall vegetable garden.
By fall garden, I'm referring to seeds that can be planted now for an abundant vegetable harvest well into October. Many plants - including pansies, chrysanthemums and lettuce prefer cool temperatures.
Leafy greens, such as arugula, kale, spinach, broccoli, radish and lettuce are ideal for late-summer planting.
It's better to plant too early than too late if you're hoping for a fall harvest, primarily because fall crops grow and mature at a slower rate because of the reduction of daylight hours.
These same vegetables are the ones that can be planted in April when the soil is still relatively cool. Seeds may take a few weeks to germinate, but once they do, plants typically thrive until we get into sustained periods of heat.
Lettuce, for instance, has a tendency to bolt when the weather turns hot, often producing tall, slender stalks that quickly turn to seed. Broccoli thrives well into June, but once heat arrives, heads and side shoots quickly develop petite yellow flowers, indicating prime growing season is over.
Planting leafy vegetables now all but guarantees an abundance of produce once fall arrives. Seeds quickly germinate in the still-warm soil and benefit from cooler night temperatures. There's also less competition from weeds, which begin to slow down when shorter days and cooler temperatures arrive.
Instead of expending energy into new growth, they're busy producing seeds or storing energy in roots for use next year.
The same rules for spring planting apply to late summer and fall planting. Use a garden fork to lift out weeds and loosen the top two to three inches of soil to enhance root development and water penetration.
If you are planting in an area that played host to other vegetables or annual flowers, consider adding compost or well-rotted manure to fortify the soil before seeds go in. Amending the soil will benefit what you plant now and whatever you plant next spring.
Raising the bar
Raised beds and containers are make excellent sites for fall-planted vegetables. With containers, you can easily move them into protected areas if a hard freeze is in the forecast.
Frost dates vary by region. In Grand Haven, there's a 50 percent chance there will be frost by Oct. 22. Move inland to Greenville, and it's Sept. 29. As a general rule, most areas of the southern Lower Peninsula do not see temperatures at 32 degrees or lower until early to mid-October.
Kalamazoo, Jackson, Flint and Muskegon have a 50 percent chance of seeing frost between Oct. 3 and Oct. 12. In Ann Arbor, the date is Oct. 15, while in Gaylord - nearly four hours north, there's a 50 percent chance frost will arrive by Sept. 19.
Container gardening lends itself to fall vegetables, especially if there's a whiskey barrel or deck pot filled with annuals well past their prime. Adding new soil - or amending with compost - will relieve tired soil that's been in place too long.
There's another option, of course, although it costs a little more. The Grow Box (also called Earth Box) is a container-growing system that works perfectly on patios, decks, balconies or anywhere else where space is limited.
Think outside the Box
It's called a SIP- or Sub-Irrigated Planter, touted for being "self-watering, sustainable, easily moveable and portable.''
The key here is the control of water reaching plants. The system delivers a consistent amount of water to plants through a reservoir system - assuming you keep the reservoir full. Soil covers protect it from getting flooded should a generous pop-up shower appear.
It's an option for people with limited space and limited time. To learn more, visit agardenpatch.com.
Whether it's a Grow Box, a raised bed garden or a traditional backyard plot, you can plant now for plenty of vegetables well into October. Visit your local garden center - even a Big Box store - and you'll likely find seed packets for between $1.19 and $1.80.
Planted now, there's a good chance seeds will have ample time to mature before sustained killing frosts arrive. That's almost eight weeks of prime growing time.
It's better odds than you'll get buying a lottery ticket - and the payout is a pretty healthy return on your investment.