In the Garden Now Newsletter July/Aug

Planning the Fall Garden
By Rich Mullins, Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteer
Pictured: Some of our favorite fall crops
Summer is hot upon us and hopefully your tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and other veggies are rolling in hot too. As much as summer is on our minds, now is the time for planning a fall vegetable garden. We are lucky here in Onslow County to have great weather for our spring and summer gardens, but we can continue gardening and harvesting vegetables well into the fall and even into the winter for some crops. Many of the cool-season vegetables we plant in early spring can also be enjoyed during the cool fall weather. A few examples include:
Arugula                    Beets              Broccoli                    Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage                    Kale               Mustard                    Collards
Field Peas               Rutabaga     Spinach                    Lettuce
Turnips                       Tomatoes
For a more complete list, planting guides, and other useful information, use the following link to view the "Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs"

August and September are the main planting times for a fall garden. One challenge when starting a fall vegetable garden is having good seed germination in August when the soil can be dry and too warm. Waiting until September to start some fall vegetables can be a little cooler than in August. Some cool season vegetables like lettuce and spinach will not germinate if the soil temperature is over 85°F.
If it’s being particularly dry, consider planting seedlings rather than sowing seeds from scratch. Plants that have germinated in a comfortable, indoor environment are more likely to survive than seeds that immediately face difficult outdoor growing conditions.
Another challenge with planting a fall garden will be insect and disease problems. It is common for insects and diseases to be more abundant in the fall due to a population buildup during the spring and summer. Some practices that will help with pest problems in a fall garden include frequent scouting for pests, keeping plants healthy so they are less susceptible to pests, and removing plants that have stopped producing so they do not harbor pests.
Now is also an excellent time to consider having your soil tested, especially if it’s been 2 or more years since you last tested or if you’ve never had it tested. The service is free and we have kits at the Extension center. Each kit contains everything you need to get your samples together and you can return the boxes and paper work to the Extension center and we get it the NCDA Soil Lab in Raleigh. When your report is ready the lab will send you an email with a link to your report. If you have any questions about your report, just call the us and we can help you with it.

Become an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer!

We are currently accepting applications for the 2022 Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteer training class. Our Master Gardener Volunteers do so much for the residents of Onslow County. You may see them working out in our Discovery Gardens, keeping the public demonstration gardens looking beautiful. You may see them at the Onslow County Farmers Market providing relevant, research-based gardening information to the public. You may see their fair booth entry at the Onslow County Fair in the fall. Or perhaps you have called the Plant Clinic and been helped by a Master Gardener Volunteer with a garden problem you are having.
The class begins on August 23rd and runs Tuesdays and Thursdays through October 20th.
Applications are due by July 22nd including the course fee of $125. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Emilee Morrison at (910) 455-5873 or emroz@ncsu.edu