Think It's Too Late to Sow? Think Again.
Every July, we hear the same question in the greenhouse.
"Am I too late to plant anything?"
The answer surprises a lot of people.
Not at all!
While spring gets most of the attention, late July and August are some of our favorite times to plant. The rain we've been getting has softened the soil, the days are still long enough for fast germination, and here in Western North Carolina, we still have a wonderful second growing season ahead of us.
If you've never planted a fall garden before, this might be the year to start.
What We're Sowing Right Now
At home, we're still direct sowing plenty of crops in the garden.
Bush beans are going into empty beds for one more harvest before frost. Shorter day cucumbers and summer squash are replacing old, tired vines one last time. Carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, storage radishes, and leeks all appreciate the gradually cooling soil they'll mature in.
Even many flowers still have time. Dwarf sunflowers planted now can brighten the garden well into autumn and make beautiful additions to late-season bouquets.
Our Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Appalachian Seed Growers Collective, Strictly Medicinal, and TFC seed packet collections are full of varieties that are perfect for sowing over the next several weeks.
Start Your Fall Vegetables Now
While root crops and beans can head straight into the garden, many of our favorite fall vegetables are getting their start indoors.
We're seeding cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, kohlrabi, and other cool-season crops now so they'll be ready to transplant as temperatures begin to moderate in August.
For many gardeners, these crops actually perform better in fall than they do in spring.
Cooler nights improve flavor, steady fall weather helps plants size up beautifully, and insect pressure often begins to ease as the season progresses. Cabbage worms and cabbage loopers can still be active while seedlings are young, so we like to protect fresh plantings with lightweight insect netting or floating row cover. It allows light, air, and rain through while preventing butterflies and moths from laying eggs on tender leaves.
If starting seeds indoors isn't your favorite part of gardening, don't worry.
We'll have organically grown cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, and other fall vegetable starts arriving in the first part of August, ready to head straight into your garden.
Don't Forget the Soil
Not every empty bed needs another vegetable immediately.
Sometimes the smartest thing you can grow is healthier soil.
If you have space that won't be planted for another month or two, consider sowing a cover crop instead of leaving the ground bare through the hottest part of summer.
Buckwheat is still an excellent choice this time of year. It germinates quickly, shades out weeds, produces abundant flowers for pollinators, and adds organic matter when turned back into the soil. Dutch White Clover, Medium Red Clover, and Crimson Clover all help protect the soil while contributing nitrogen and supporting beneficial insects. Summer Max Mix remains one of our favorite options for gardeners looking to improve soil biology with a diverse planting, and cowpeas still have time to put on meaningful growth before cooler weather arrives.
Living roots feed soil microbes every day they're in the ground. The longer we can keep something growing, the healthier our gardens become.
Plan Your Fall Garden Today
Our end-of-season seed packet sale makes this one of the best times of year to fill your seed library.
Some of those packets may head into the garden this week. Others might wait until next spring. Either way, quality seed always has a future.
And if seed starting isn't your style, keep an eye on the greenhouse over the next couple of weeks. Our organically grown fall vegetable starts will be ready soon, making it easy to jump into the season without needing a grow light or seed trays.
We'll be out in the garden over the next week sowing another round of beans, carrots, beets, greens, and fall vegetables while this stretch of rainy weather leaves the soil in beautiful condition.
What will you sow?
