This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
As summer draws to a close, the vegetable garden is gradually emptying. The peas and lettuce have been harvested, and as you pick beets and carrots as needed, new spaces are opening up. Why not fill them with quick-maturing plants that will provide you with delicious fresh vegetables before the cold weather sets in?
Planting vegetables in late summer is no more complicated than doing it in spring. All you need is seeds (available at garden centers), a hoe to make a furrow and a little compost, and you’re done.
The Benefits of Gardening in Fall
There are even some advantages to growing vegetables in the fall. Quebec’s climate, which is often mild during this season, allows the soil to stay warm, thus promoting faster germination, while the risk of heat waves, which can harm growth and alter the taste of vegetables, is reduced. In addition, precipitation is often there, and even in the event of a lack of it, the soil remains moist longer under cool fall nights, thus reducing the need for watering.
Fast harvests
Not all vegetables are suitable for autumn sowing. Fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, or ground cherries, require a long growing season, and even faster-growing ones, such as beans or cucumbers, do not appreciate the cool nights of September. It is therefore best to choose leafy vegetables and root vegetables, favoring those that germinate quickly.
Starting your vegetable garden
Start by clearing the growing area of weeds and debris, then mix in compost (about a handful every 15 cm). Then make furrows three to four times the diameter of the seeds in depth. Sow one seed every 2.5 cm, then cover with soil and water thoroughly.
No garden? Grow in a container!
Even if you don’t have a garden, you can still grow some vegetables on your terrace. It’s not too late, even in September, to start a new container garden!
This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.