It's not too late to plant a 'victory garden'—here's everything you need to know
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With so many summer-fun options on hold, folks have been turning to the domestic arts more than usual. Gardening has been huge in 2020, with lots of people motivated to grow old-fashioned ‘victory gardens.’ What exactly is a victory garden? Nothing more than a plot growing vegetables, fruits and herbs. The name took hold during World War I and World War II, when sowing, tending and harvesting at home was a way to keep morale up and costs down. And though we’re not exactly at war right now, we are banding together to conquer a raging pandemic, and we need all the morale-boosting we can get.
You might assume that by August, you’ve missed the boat on planting your victory garden, but it turns out you’re not too late. For a fall harvest, seeds go in the ground in August. “Now is the perfect time,” Pamela J. Bennett, associate professor and state master gardener program director at The Ohio State University, tells Yahoo Life.
If you live in a warmer climate, you have a few more weeks in which to plant. In a cooler area, it’s time to act. The key factor is the timing of the first frost, Bennett says. You can find out when the first frost in your area is expected with The National Gardening Association's online tool. You can sow seeds in the ground, in large pots or in a raised bed, as long as you plant at least 60 days before first frost.
Lori Imboden, consumer horticulture supervising educator at Michigan State University Extension-Oakland County, tells Yahoo Life that if you get those seeds in asap, you’ll have veggies as soon as September.
What can you plant this time of year? Imboden says certain crops “thrive in cooler fall temperatures and are less likely to be bitter than when grown in warm weather.” Here are her recommendations:
· Beets
· Swiss chard
· Collard greens
· Arugula
· Spinach
· Kale
· Radishes
· Carrots
· Broccoli
· Cauliflower
· Brussels sprouts
Planting in summer for a fall harvest requires extra attention to watering, Annette Cormany, horticulture educator at the University of Maryland Extension-Washington County, tells Yahoo Life. While it’s still hot out, Cormany advises watering seeds and plants “deeply.” She says, “Don’t be afraid to plunge your finger down into the soil—you need to make sure water goes into the roots.” As the temperature drops, you can ease up a little. But let the plants and the soil be your guide: “I always advocate for watching the soil rather than the calendar to determine when to water,” Imboden says.
Cormany recommends planting a few rows of seeds a week, rather than planting all your seeds at the same time. This way “you ensure a steady supply of food and avoid being overwhelmed by too much of any one crop,” she says. She also
Just in case the frost comes early, keep some old sheets and blankets handy, for covering your plants on cold nights—or you can buy row covers, which are made just for this purpose. Cormany explains: “You can extend the fall growing season with floating row covers,” thin sheets of breathable fabric for insulating crops, laid flat or draped over metal arches.
Ready to dig in? Here are seeds to get your fall victory garden going.
Burpee Detroit Dark Red Medium Top Beet Seeds
Beets like full sun and are perfect in salads with arugula (another recommended fall crop). This packet of 1,000 seeds gives you plenty for now and later. The plants mature in 59 days.
Get your leafy-green needs covered with this four-pack. Plant an assorted row or two so you have a varied crop, and then do another couple of varied rows a week later to keep the greens rolling in all fall. Expect results in six to eight weeks.
Sow Right Watermelon Radish Seeds
For that pop of color that turns your dinner into an Instagram moment, there’s nothing like a few slices of homegrown watermelon radish. Crisp and tangy, these hardy root veggies can be ready to harvest in as little as 25 days.
Burpee Kaleidoscope Blend Carrot Seeds
Nutritionists say to ‘eat the rainbow’ when it comes to vegetables. That’s easy when you have your own crop of colorful carrots. Expect bright red, purple, white, yellow, and, of course, orange carrots from this Burpee seed pack. You can harvest in about 75 days.
David’s Garden Cauliflower Snowball Heirloom Seeds
A pack of heirloom seeds from David’s Garden. Plant now and expect to be noshing on the crunchy vegetable in about 80 days. Make cauliflower steaks, cauliflower rice, roasted cauliflower with capers and raisins—the list goes on and on.
Gaea's Blessing Organic Broccoli Seeds
This hearty crop can withstand a little cold, and will be ready to harvest in about 100 days. Just a heads up: You’ll be eating a lot of broccoli with these seeds, which promise a ‘very high yield.’
Seed Needs Brussels Sprouts Twin Pack
Brussels sprouts are super versatile: You can slice them thin for a raw salad, roast them with bacon or score the bottom and steam them in a flash. You’ll get a solid crop with this twin pack, which will be ready to harvest in about 85 days.
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