What would you plant?
 

I have two rows of garlic that will likely be harvested the 2nd or 3rd week of July. I am in zone 6a. I think it will be too late to put in more tomato plants unless I can find some early varieties or larger plants still available and in good condition. Actually I have a few that never got hardened off or planted out but I think that will be too late. Is it also too late for beans, broccoli, or other plants? What would you plant that late in the season? Depending on the year, sometimes I can keep harvesting tomatoes until mid October or later but other years I am done by mid to late September. I still have one Early girl, a Stump or the World, 1 or 2 Soldacki, a few anemic looking Sophies Choice in cups that have been hardened off but not given any attention for a few weeks. The ones not hardened off are various sizes, but some still only about 8" tall that were late to germinate. A few are about 12" tall. Might be better buying plants that are larger and hardened off if I decide to go with more tomatoes that late.

I only have Tomatoes, garlic, Rhubarb and herbs planted right now so I can add almost anything. I don't really NEED more tomatoes, but you can NEVER have too many, lol. I already have a dozen full size, 3 grape/cherries and a plum tomato in the garden.

I was thinking I could also save the space for a fall planting of something, but not sure what.

Open to suggestions! :yes:

My plan for after the garlic harvest is to plant:

Zucchini
Bush Beans
Beets
Cabbage
Fall lettuce

The beets and cabbage are new crops this year. The others always follow the garlic harvest.

And I'll probably plant another four or so well hardened dwarf project tomato plants.

Sue, Texas and Connecticut are many miles away, but our internet brings things closer [URL]http://www.ufseeds.com/Connecticut-Vegetable-Planting-Calendar.html[/URL] My thoughts are to plant that Early Girl.

The farthest north I have been is upper Arkansas when I was a child.

So far the beans and squash have it, although it has been several years since I was able to get a squash harvest because of squash vine borers. I wonder if I could get a late crop after the moths are gone? I have heard that is a long shot because they can hang around longer than most people estimate, and sometimes even this far north can have 2 active periods. Beans might be nice. Broccoli I like but it would need to be started indoors and I am kind of over that for this year, lol. Over 80 tomato plants, most given away, and I need a break until next year. That is a really helpful chart, Robert, so thank you!

Carrots. I will be planting carrots in the garlic bed. We can harvest until around Christmas, a little later if the ground hasn't frozen. The cold makes them sweet like candy.
It can be tricky to keep them wet enough to germinate in August, some shade helps.

I've tried several varieties of squash in past years, and while they did set well, none had enough time to fully mature before frost hit. Hopefully you're far enough south of me that you can get a harvest before the weather shuts things down.

And I'm with you on indoor seed starting--I'm done for the year! I was planning to start the cabbage seeds indoors as this is my first time growing it, but I've decided to direct sow it along with everything else.

In the meantime, I hope you have a good garlic harvest!

I have some seeds for some Nantes carrots I could try. the good thing about the carrots is that the the part in the ground is protected against all but freezing weather, and smaller less fully developed carrots are probably still edible.

I am on the fence about which squash. Summer squash grows faster, but winter squash like Butternut might tolerate a little cool weather better. But they take sooo long to mature, not sure I would end up with anything.

Bush beans, a french filet
A variety of carrots
Some winter radish choices, [URL="http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/radishes/"]http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/radishes/[/URL]

Picked scapes last weekend. I did plant peas and beans on the outer edges of the bed
a few weeks ago...about 10" now for a head start.

Already have salad beds and squash plots and many tomatoes knee high.

I would love to plant a fall crop of Broccoli, but they all say you need to start the seeds in May. If I find some plants left over that are already started at a local nursery, I might put one in. Swiss Chard is good to. I have about a 3 ft wide x 15 foot long space to fill, so I could plant 1 or 2 of several different items and maybe some still fit in some carrots along the edge.

I started a big 1020 tray of chard, kales, and swisschard, some cauliflower and brussels
back maybe six weeks ago that need to go in.

Only does well if we have a nice Sept-Oct and no hard frost. Some years they do well
some not so good. Doesn't take much time or space. The tray is sitting in the shade not
well attended at all. i just accept whatever happens with those.
The tray is covered with tule. Holding off planting avoids some Spring bugs.

I'm a transplanted NY'er , so I'm familiar with your conditions. They are very similar to where I live now.


A few years back at this time of year I planted a half dozen 4 inch tomatoes that were on sale for a buck. I remember one being Cherokee Purple, and none were Early Girl. That late group never worked out for me. By the time they grew to a decent size, days were shortening and stink bugs and leaf diseases were in the garden.

I've never had much luck with fall gardens for the brassicas. I've tried my own transplants and freshly grown commercial (not left over from summer) 6 packs. Lots of pretty leaves but no heads. I don't find the charts work well for me. For instance,I follow what the local coop does; start brussels sprouts in March, plants out in May, harvest beginning in September. Way off the 6 weeks the chart suggests.

Since we are talking weeks into the future, consider finding a 4 inch squash or baby melon plant, hopefully on sale at a decent garden center where they were cared for. As a last resort, Lowes near you may still have Bonnie Plants. Three dollars for 3 squash seeds is an abomination, but it will buy you several weeks at this late stage. You can transplant up to a larger pot as you wait for the harvest.

At least the greens will be a sure thing (unless you have rabbits).
Maybe try a teeny garden of the rest to convince yourself of the worth of the effort <wink>.

- Lisa

I'm going to sow early kohlrabi and Peking cabbage next week.
Vladimír
PS.: I am on the 50th parallel of the northern latitude.

Bush beans always follow my garlic - green and yellow. We've tried the purple, but don't really like the taste.

For squash vine borers, foil 'em with aluminum foil.

Take a 12" x 12" square of it, cut/tear from the edge to the middle, wrap it around the stem like a little volcano maybe a few inches high in the middle, put a little soil or a few rocks on the corners so it doesn't blow away.

Daikon radish is easy and outgrow warm season weeds. I also plant kale escarole lettuce arugula.