Digging In: Tips and Tricks for the End-of-August Garden

Kermiet's garden

The month of August is almost over and with September on the horizon it is time for many avid gardeners to reassess their summertime activities and harvest. Don’t let the cooler weather and shorter days scare you - late summer is a great time to harvest warm season crops and to plant cool season vegetables.

Many vegetables can be planted via seed or transplant in late summer and early fall and harvested in late September and even into October. “August is a great time to plant cool season crops for fall harvest including radish, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts,” recommends Nathaniel Kermiet, avid gardener and West Lansing schoolyard volunteer garden manager.

Many popular vegetables do better in cool weather, and are even tastier after a light frost. If they had been planted in May and harvested in July they would likely be tough and woody, taste bitter, or bolt. Bolting refers to plants producing flowers and seeds when stressed by hot weather. Vegetables especially noted for bolting include broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and radishes.

“Besides planting cool season vegetables, late August and early September is a great time to save seeds” recommends Kermiet, “tomatoes, peppers, beans, and peas are simple and easy to gather seeds from and it’s an easy way to save money come springtime when prices skyrocket.”

Tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas are easy plants to harvest seeds from because their flowers are self-pollinating, and require little treatment prior to storage. When saving seed it is also important to choose open-pollinated varieties, or heirlooms, as opposed to hybrids.

August rains can cause heavier soils to become water logged, so having organic matter mixed into seed beds is important for both drainage and root penetration. Shredded leaves or compost can be added to increase organic matter. This can be done anytime during the fall, however it is likely not going to provide an immediate benefit to the garden but rather boost the soil for next year. Composting annual vegetables that have already been harvested is another activity best left for September, but be sure not to compost any material that is infested or diseased.

While it is not likely Michigan will experience a frost in August, it is something to be concerned about by mid-September. It is important to cover crops in the early evening with sheets or cardboard, but never use plastic as moisture can condense on the underside and plants can freeze, and plastic transfers the cold to the plants.

To learn more about gardening in Michigan and tips and tricks of experts across the state visit Michigan State University Extensions Smart Gardening webpage at www.migarden.msu.edu.