Putting this here because it's more about feeding us than gardening...

I think I'm going to pull out my Glacier tomatoes. They're not doing well at all and I think they have some sort of virus. It's like they're in suspended animation.

It will give me 2 18' rows. Plus I'm pulling out a 10' long lettuce bed - that could easily be 3 10' rows of carrots, it's a wide bed about 3-4' across.

Not sure what to plant besides carrots (I can mulch w/straw and get them past frost). Whatever I plant has to be frost tolerant as first frost is typically Sept 1-15. (Last is June 1-15, LOL.) Beets? Cabbage? Not stuff we're really into eating (I am but not kids). We have plenty of kale and chard.

Ah and I think I'll have another 3x10 lettuce bed by the end of the week.

I have dry bean seeds, and plenty of carrot seeds, plenty more lettuce to put in a second bed...too tired to think of what else. But I don't mind buying more seeds, either.

Brussels sprouts?

Brussels Sprouts, Brussels Sprouts Seeds, Brussel Sprouts, Seeds, Seed Catalog, Vegetable Seeds (http://www.reimerseeds.com/brussels-sprouts_432.aspx)

Try this for ideas:
GrowGuide - Weekend Gardener (http://www.chestnut-sw.com/growform.htm)

I used it through this growing season and loved it.

Cool, thanks! My family is going to have to learn to eat more cool-weather veggies, I think. ;)

radishes, spinach... doesn't sound like you have enough time for broccoli but maybe!!

I love radishes, but maybe your kids won't eat them. They are really quick, too, only about 6 weeks from seed to harvest.

Tara

oooh love brussel sprouts and cabbage

list I jsut found:
Frost-tolerant vegetables include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, spinach and turnips.

I did a couple rows of carrots with radishes sprinkled in, spinach, snap peas, and lettuce. Also working on broccoli.

Yes, I was gifted several year old radish seeds and we had a bed of them and it would be good to do another.

I'm thinking beets where the salad bowl lettuce is now, maybe half beets and half cabbage actually, a fresh round of romaine sprinkled in with the new lettuces popping up in the mesclun mix as I thin out the bolted ones...that should do it. The Glaciers may ripen yet; a few are starting. They're just all as confused and overwhelmed with the weather this summer as we are.

It's too wet to plant anyway. :lol:I still have about 6" of standing water in a good bit of the garden (and beyond).

Not sure what to plant besides carrots (I can mulch w/straw and get them past frost). Whatever I plant has to be frost tolerant as first frost is typically Sept 1-15. (Last is June 1-15, LOL.) Beets? Cabbage? Not stuff we're really into eating (I am but not kids). We have plenty of kale and chard.


Lauren, how does it work with the mulch? Do you wait until your plants are up and then mulch around them, or do you plant through the mulch?

I've been wanting to get a garden set up before winter in preparation for next year and I read in the article on Ruth Stout's system about using waste hay for mulch. We have oodles of waste hay that has been on my list to take to the dump because it's too large a volume for out compost boxes. But maybe I should instead put it on my (planned, not in existence) raised beds? But then what do I do come planting time next year? Plant through the mulch? Move the mulch out of the way? (Okay, I'm laughing at my novice questions so feel free to laugh too.) I can see planting plants through mulch, but it's the direct seed crops like carrots that have me puzzled.

I haven't finished the Stout System article yet, perhaps it will go into more detail for me... :)

Rhea

Lauren, how does it work with the mulch? Do you wait until your plants are up and then mulch around them, or do you plant through the mulch?

I've been wanting to get a garden set up before winter in preparation for next year and I read in the article on Ruth Stout's system about using waste hay for mulch. We have oodles of waste hay that has been on my list to take to the dump because it's too large a volume for out compost boxes. But maybe I should instead put it on my (planned, not in existence) raised beds? But then what do I do come planting time next year? Plant through the mulch? Move the mulch out of the way? (Okay, I'm laughing at my novice questions so feel free to laugh too.) I can see planting plants through mulch, but it's the direct seed crops like carrots that have me puzzled.

I haven't finished the Stout System article yet, perhaps it will go into more detail for me... :)

Rhea

Is the article online? I'd love to read it.

What I did, without reading Stout but reading about her methods for potatoes, is planted seed potatoes not too deep in the ground, then covered the entire top with about 6" of hay. That worked great and they were weed free until recently...the hay has mostly blown away now. They came right up through the hay.

For the rest of the garden, I did not mulch w/straw until I had planted everything. Also, I like to do raised ridges for my beds, so the straw kind of wouldn't "stick" to those areas - I found it hard to get it all the way up to and around the base of the plants.

I also had the problem that it is so cool here that the straw was cooling the soil temps too much. So I kind of let it fall off from around the plants to give them some warmth (the tomatoes anyway) and just had it in the walkways between the beds.

I did buy straw because I don't have any waste hay and I didn't want weed seeds. I would overwinter your hay this winter, just letting it sit outside, then spread it in the spring after you plant and after seedlings have come up. I can't imagine planting seeds through mulch.

Spinach, Lettuces, Sugar Snap Peas

The hard part about wanting to plant in late summer/early fall is finding seeds. I was made to feel about 2" tall by the store manager at Wal-Mart for wanting seeds in mid-July. I haven't been back to that store since!

LOL, Sue! So sorry you were treated that way. :rolleyes:

I have um, tons of seeds. :) I bought plenty for this year and next. But if I wanted different seeds than what I have, I bought them all from here: High Mowing Organic Seeds - Organic Vegetable, Flower Herb and Cover Crop Seeds, including Heirloom Varieties (http://www.highmowingseeds.com) and you can order whenever you want. They're close enough to me that I just go and pick up my order. Awesome company...small and locally owned.

So far I have not planted anything more. Feeling done. I would love to reseed chard and kale, and it's finally dry enough to plant again. But it's getting pretty close to frost dates.

Sorry about the negative experience at Walmart.
Manager was probably not a seasoned gardener and his ignorance set a bad tone. :(

I hope you were able to try a local nursery that would probably welcome your late season seed needs.

The hard part about wanting to plant in late summer/early fall is finding seeds. I was made to feel about 2" tall by the store manager at Wal-Mart for wanting seeds in mid-July. I haven't been back to that store since!

Sue, they took our seeds away late JUNE!! This is the first year for them to do this, before just clearancing the seeds. Now they ship them on to other stores with later-starting growing seasons. I had to order mine online!!

NAK, but sorry the WM guy was not very informed!!