With the right arrangement, a garden can be interesting at any time of year. So there are salads and vegetables that can still be harvested in winter or early spring. When the summer slowly comes to an end and the beds gradually become free, for many plants the favorable time for sowing only begins, because they only really get going at lower temperatures and shorter days.
The best known of these plants is the uncomplicated field lettuce. The best time for sowing in the open field is from early august to mid september. In favorable locations, however, can still be sat until the beginning of october. In the unheated wax house or early bedding box this is even possible until the end of october. Only powdery mildew and downy mildew can narrow a harvest success. Therefore, winter-hardy and mildew-resistant varieties such as elan, vit and favor should be used. The latter variety is even suitable for year-round cultivation.
Lamb’s lettuce can be sown after almost all previous crops. However, avoid bedding areas on which lettuce or field salad has already been grown. Dung should be avoided at all costs because of the sensitivity to salt. Field lettuce plants grow poorly on heavy soil. Therefore, a depth loosening of the soil of 20 centimeters increases the harvesting success. Field lettuce is a dark seedling. Therefore, the seed should be carefully covered with two centimeters of soil. If the seed is sown too densely and the spacing is too narrow, the plants will push too far and turn yellow. This is to be considered above all with coarse-grown sorts. These require a row spacing of 15 centimeters. Lamb’s lettuce is now best sown in sets every ten to 14 days.
Tomatoes bursting with health
the tomatoes are bursting with health this year. Healthy leaves should remain as long as possible. These are necessary to supply the fruits. Only, if the lower leaves should get sick later, they have to be removed continuously to avoid further infections upwards. Since normally no more than five to six fruit stands mature in the field, the excess ones can be broken out. Also, the terminal bud may already be removed to avoid further unnecessary long growth.
Endive, sugar loaf and radicchio are always grown in late summer in several sets until autumn because of their resistance to diseases and cold. They make an ideal continuation of the cultivation of summer salads.
In the case of mangold and puck lettuce, the outer leaves can be harvested carefully on an ongoing basis. The stems are broken off towards the stalks without plucking the plant. Care must be taken to leave the heart leaves intact. So with mangold a harvest until frost is possible. Depending on the variety, the leaves are prepared like spinach and the stems like asparagus.
Potatoes should remain in the ground for about three weeks after the leaves have fully retracted to allow them to mature. The storage in a cool and humid cellar can only take place if the tubers have been thoroughly dried for a few days beforehand.
The sunflower is available in many varieties. The color spectrum ranges from yellow, orange to rust red. Gladly planted in farmer’s garden behind garden fences. The sunflower blooms from august to the end of september. Originates from wet meadows. Therefore, their water requirement is very high.