Are You Ready for Labor Day?

Labor Day is the traditional day for planting fall gardens. The ground should be ready for planting. For gardens planted in the old standard way or rows and paths, everything that is not still producing something should be tilled under, and the rows should be laid out nice and straight. Usually 3” is a good width for the type of things that are planted in the fall. PH should be tested to see if lime or sulfur is needed. Three trenches should be dug with a garden hoe. These should be filled with finished compost and covered with the dirt from three intervening trenches dug with a garden hoe.

When planting these will be the rows for the seeds. What to plant in the fall? Virtually all of the crucifers (collards, turnips, mustard, radishes, etc.) can be planted now. Broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts will do better if plants are used. Lettuce, arugula, mesclun, carrots and spinach will add variety to salads and should be ready to eat before the last tomatoes are picked. With any luck at all there will only be a few weeks all year, when there is nothing to eat in the garden.

Labor day is also a good time to plant things like asparagus, blueberries and artichokes. They will get established before the really cold weather comes and there seems to be less stress from drought in the fall. Just be sure that everything is well mulched before the first frost.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/