I hate having to talk about fall to customers so much right now. I planted the fall cabbage, broccoli and also trying cauliflower this week. I also did my last sowings of beans, carrots and kohlrabi. Fall sowings of various greens, specialty radishes, baby bok choy, broccoli rabe, turnips. Started last of the lettuce and Napa transplants. Lots more fall seeding to do of fall greens and radishes. Lastly, garlic.

I have started my fall plantings as well. I will have more space than normal for fall plantings as I will take out more tomato plants that are not productive. hoping for a good fall to recoup some of lost summer's sales do to weather.

I never thought I would say this after the weather we have had this year WE HAD 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN ON SUNDAY MORNING. it was badly needed to help the summer crops keep growing and get the fall stuff off to a good start. another inch or so might have made it muddy out. it soaked in like a giant sponge.

I got the first round of my winter stuff planted on Friday evening, over night we had over 2 inches of rain. Now it is pounded down and starting to crust over. Now I have to water to keep the top moist until things have sprouted, if they didn't wash away!

I am so ready for fall. It has been a long, hot and dry summer here, yes, even in zone 3. I'm changing my strategy a bit, focusing on season extension of summer crops such as peppers, and on established kale and chard that should get rejuvenated by cooler weather. I will be starting transplants of greens in a few weeks and direct seeding spinach soon.

Last week we got our fall transplants in. Broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, kale collards, cauliflower, and napa cabbage. Still have to get some seeds in the ground - turnips, radish and beets. Im just starting transplants to plant in the high tunnel in 4-5 weeks. We are trying a winter market this year. I have no idea what Im doing there, but there is still time to learn. :)

ekgrows:

Not sure of your location, but Johnny's has this great chart. Fill in the dates of last 10 hour day of sun and figure out when you need to get things planted. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-winter-harvest-planting-chart.aspx I have been using it and my own experience to be successful in the winter growing season.

Thanks Jay! Ive been meaning to post on here for a while about winter planting, but have been either too busy or too tired to actually compose a sensible post when I have the time to do it! LOL. I put off ordering seeds until last week, but expect them to arrive tomorrow. Looks like I will need to get some of them started ASAP. I had too look up my daylight hours, and found this quite handy: Persephone Period calculator . Considering growing is what I do for a living, I kind of feel ashamed for not knowing my date sooner. Usually our markets are done by then, so it has kind of been a moot point. Thanks again - this is very helpful!!!!!!!

"I put off ordering seed......" I always plan out my fall needs when ordering seed and pick up some seeds in late May and June when prices drop . I also save back onion sets from spring for fall planting. I bought some onion sets on closeout for $.39 for a hundred. green onions are a great money maker for me. 16 bunches sell for $2 each grown in 3 square feet in about 4-5 weeks with $.39 seed cost.

Im spending the afternoon planning the planting schedule. There are 4 houses I can plant in. 2 of them now have tomatoes growing in them, and considering those are our best sellers, we are not willing to rip them out early to plant other crops. So those 2 won't open up until October / November. Not sure if there is any reason to try planting them at that point, or wait until early spring to try to have crops in April. The other has ginger in about 2/3 of it, and zucchini in the other third. I have no problem ripping out the zucchini - but that only gives me a 4x70 bed. The ginger won't come out until late September at the earliest The last is currently empty, but is our main greenhouse. We need to get benches out, rip up landscape fabric, bring in compost and till. But - since that is our main greenhouse, and plants are our real money makers, we will need it beginning in March, I need to plan so that whatever crops are grown in there are gone by then. It is also close to a Walnut - so I have to grow walnut tolerant crops. Im thinking beets, carrots and lettuce for that house, and some brassicas away from the walnut. I will just have to rip them out come March. This year will be a real learning curve. :)

I wouldn't expect much from the soil of the greenhouse you walk in all the time. Personally I wouldn't plant in the soil expect maybe exactly where the tables were.

I've got most stuff seeded for fall. The weather is still hot, humid and rainy! And I hate it. I'll still seed more spinach and brassica greens and radishes. I have to separate the garlic bulbs for planting from the sale ones. That involves some math.

" I found last year that people would buy some of each and buy more than if I just had one variety."

If it's different colors, probably because it's FUN to have color differences. And different leaf textures adds interest.

Fall plantings are going great. Finished up the second planting, figured out that my second planting may be larger than my first (oops). The first planting is coming up and now to keep ahead of the weeding. I have drip irrigation up and running on all but one movable building spot. I am pretty happy about that.

Now to get the high tunnels all cleaned out and prepped for the transplants that are growing nicely.

Keep things watered and weeded. That will be the real challenge. Weed early and often!

Jay

May plant some white raddish and some oriental raddishes and some chinese cabbage. Large white raddishes grow about to football size or larger. In Korea they call it Moo. Can pick it earlier also. Probably more red oblong raddishes also.

Stuff is popping up in rows, despite the heat.

Carrots

Turnips and Watermelon radish (looks dry, but we had 2 inches of pounding rain that really packed it down 1 day after planting.)

Spinach

Arugula (didn't get rained on)

Kale and collards