YORKTON - The end of the garden is closer than the beginning, so now it is time to think about adding new plants in the garden before the weather turns!
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be holding their Fall Plant and Bulb Sale on Friday, Sept. 20 from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (or while supplies last) at the Parkland Mall in Yorkton. This time of year is a great time to add some new plants; they still have time to settle in before winter arrives, and then can be part of the new garden landscape when spring arrives. There might also be some houseplants, too, so be sure to stop by the sale.
I think that earlier in the season, (probably on a very hot day!) we were chatting about things that we can plant in the fall, to give them a head start next spring. Why would we do this? First of all, it’s an interesting experiment; I know of several gardeners who do this, have been doing this for years and say that it’s a great concept. Practically speaking, who knows what kind of moisture next spring will have, but as the snow melts first thing in the spring, there is bound to be a bit of moisture, and if our seeds are waiting, they have a head start. Also, some seeds like cooler temperatures to germinate, and some even have to go through a cold spell before they can germinate.
So here is what my homework tells me about seeds that we can try; glance over this list and see if there are some that you want to give a whirl. Spinach, radishes, lettuce, kale, beets, peas, carrots, turnips, parsnips. Do you see a pattern with these veggie choices? They all like cooler temperatures in the garden to germinate. Why not plant a few short rows now in the fall and see what happens? Like any plantings, weather conditions might affect our success, and so will the strength of the seeds. If we’ve got old radish seeds that have been kicking around in the garage for several years, chances might be reduced for their success.
I also read several important things that we should keep in mind especially if we are trying this for the first time. We should use the freshest seeds we can; we should plant them a little thicker; and we shouldn’t water them when we plant them. Why? Because we do want them to sprout, but not right now!
Fall planting should be done later on, in October, before the ground freezes but when the temperatures have already turned chilly. Once again, we want those seeds to sprout but not right now!
So it all works out just fine: we can do our fall garden clean up, get things under control and be almost ready to put the garden to bed, and then at the very end we can throw in those seeds for next spring and we’ll see what happens!
Every year, someone always talks about to till or not to till the garden in the fall. I know some gardeners like a picture-perfect neat yard in the fall, with a black square of garden earth.
I also know gardeners who will not till the garden in the fall, because doing so can spread weed seeds, and destroy the delicate and fragile soil structure that is responsible for giving us a good garden next spring. Only you can decide for your garden. On another note, I’d like to remind and encourage you not to rake every last leaf or twig in your garden clean-up. These tiny wild spots in a garden provide safety and shelter over the winter for many valuable garden guests like lady-bugs. Give them a bit of a helping hand! Thank you to our friends at YTW; gardeners, visit the hort society at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a great week!
