Uncommon Evergreen and Deciduous Azaleas 4th Annual Public Auction
Conducted by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Azalea Society of America (ASA-NV)
Sunday, September 11th
Silent Auction at 1:00 PM
Live Auction at 2:00 PM
Merrifield Garden Center
6895 Wellington Road
Gainesville, Virginia 20156
(703) 368-1919
For additional questions, please call ASA-NV officers
Rick Bauer (757) 833-7737
Carolyn Beck (703) 860-5676
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Fall Planting Formula - Clarification from a Hort Expert
A few weeks ago, I had a post entitled Formula for Success – planting Fall vegetables,
in which I tried to decipher a formula I found online that should help
in deciding what crops could still be planted in the fall.
The formula that I found was this:
+ Number of days from seed to transplant if you grow your own
+ Average harvest period
+ Fall Factor (about two weeks)
+ Frost Tender Factor (if applicable); 2 weeks
= Days to count back from first frost date
Alan McDaniel, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech, was kind enough to provide this more detailed explanation:
Who would think that a math degree is needed for gardening, but it is sometimes true.
Let's look at the components of your equation, with a small modification. If we plant in the "normal" spring growing season, we can plant seed of a tender crop at the spring frost date. That takes into account a safety factor for a slightly later freeze when a tender plant is germinating and still protected under the soil surface. (Of course, a tender-crop transplant needs planning for some type of freeze protection since it does not have the protective soil cover.) We estimate the first harvest from that crop with the number printed on the seed label. For example, a "65 day" crop needs about 65 days from seeding to first harvest, after which we have a short or long productive time, or harvest period, depending on the crop, management, etc. All of this is based on warming, longer days of spring into summer.
Shifting this to a fall harvest time, we need to think instead about how the crop responds as the days are getting shorter and cooler. This is the fall factor. Thus, a 65-day crop from seeding could need closer to 80 days (although germination will likely be faster since the soil is warm at seeding). That is the fall factor in your equation getting us to the first expected harvest time. How long that harvest continues depends on the crop involved. Something like bush beans we could look at for a single, once-over harvest, but your preference could as well be for multiple harvests over a two-week period. Thus, the average harvest period will vary with every crop (and gardener).
When we bring the frost factor into the picture, it helps us understand when cool-season crops (half-hardy and hardy) are better choices for the fall garden because a) they generally thrive under the cooler temperatures (with shorter days) and b) the frost factor is less a worry.
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation, Dr. McDaniel. I enjoyed our conversation.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
After the Storm - Lessons Learned about People and Trees
Shhhh. Do you hear that? It is the collective sigh of relief in the wake of hurricane Irene. Or haven't you let out your sigh of relief yet? I think it’s okay now. Go ahead and breathe.
And now, comes the clean up. And the lessons learned.
One of the first things that I always seem to notice after something like this is what I learn about people. I think that any sort of emergency or disaster either brings out the kindness or the cruelness of people. There are those who reach out to their friends and neighbors, checking in, seeing if they need anything. And there are those who shove ahead of others in the crowded department store lines or loot the homes of people who evacuated their homes. With all of the stress of hurricane preparations and recovery, it's a little disheartening to learn about the negative side of people. So just ignore it. Move on.
The other lessons, of course, are the ones that are learned from Mother Nature. As of this writing, there are at least 19 deaths attributed to hurricane Irene. At least 11 of those deaths were caused by fallen branches or trees.
Millions of people were without electricity during the storms. Again, many of the power outages were caused by fallen trees.
I am a self-professed nature nerd and tree lover, so these statistics about the cruelty of nature bother me as much as the reality of the cruelty of people. But these thoughts are not quite as easy to ignore. I can do my best to avoid unpleasant people, but my soul would suffer if I thought I had to be fearful of trees.
Thankfully, there has been a lot of research done on hurricanes and trees, conducted by the experts who have experienced much of it first hand, researchers at the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Since 1992, they have been studying the kinds of trees that were more apt to break or topple over during hurricanes, as well as the reasons why. True, some of what they learned was about treess that don’t grow in the northeast. But as with most things in nature (human nature and mother nature) many of the lessons that life provides are not geographically specific.
If you lost trees or lost power, or are just interested in learning a little bit more about trees and hurricanes, the University of Florida has created an entire website devoted to Trees and Hurricanes.
For example, some of the trees that were found to be MOST wind-resistant in their studies include: American holly, inkberry and bald cypress. Some of the trees that were the least wind-resistant were: tulip poplar, southern red oak and water oak.
Here are a few more of the lessons learned:
Root/Soil Issues
And now, comes the clean up. And the lessons learned.
One of the first things that I always seem to notice after something like this is what I learn about people. I think that any sort of emergency or disaster either brings out the kindness or the cruelness of people. There are those who reach out to their friends and neighbors, checking in, seeing if they need anything. And there are those who shove ahead of others in the crowded department store lines or loot the homes of people who evacuated their homes. With all of the stress of hurricane preparations and recovery, it's a little disheartening to learn about the negative side of people. So just ignore it. Move on.
The other lessons, of course, are the ones that are learned from Mother Nature. As of this writing, there are at least 19 deaths attributed to hurricane Irene. At least 11 of those deaths were caused by fallen branches or trees.
Millions of people were without electricity during the storms. Again, many of the power outages were caused by fallen trees.
I am a self-professed nature nerd and tree lover, so these statistics about the cruelty of nature bother me as much as the reality of the cruelty of people. But these thoughts are not quite as easy to ignore. I can do my best to avoid unpleasant people, but my soul would suffer if I thought I had to be fearful of trees.
Thankfully, there has been a lot of research done on hurricanes and trees, conducted by the experts who have experienced much of it first hand, researchers at the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Since 1992, they have been studying the kinds of trees that were more apt to break or topple over during hurricanes, as well as the reasons why. True, some of what they learned was about treess that don’t grow in the northeast. But as with most things in nature (human nature and mother nature) many of the lessons that life provides are not geographically specific.
If you lost trees or lost power, or are just interested in learning a little bit more about trees and hurricanes, the University of Florida has created an entire website devoted to Trees and Hurricanes.
For example, some of the trees that were found to be MOST wind-resistant in their studies include: American holly, inkberry and bald cypress. Some of the trees that were the least wind-resistant were: tulip poplar, southern red oak and water oak.
Here are a few more of the lessons learned:
Root/Soil Issues
- Trees growing in confined soil spaces are prone to blowing over.
- Root defects such as girdling roots cause trees to blow over.
- Apparently healthy trees can blow down because supportive roots have decayed or soil becomes soft from saturation.
- Large and old trees blow over; recently planted trees blow over; well established young to medium-aged trees are less likely to blow over.
- Construction activities within about 20 feet of the trunk of existing trees can cause the tree to blow over more than a decade later.
- Trees in shallow soils are more prone to blow over than trees rooted more deeply.
- Uprooted trees can break underground utility lines such as water and sewer.
- Trees become unstable in soils saturated by lots of rain.
- Trees that are preventively pruned are less likely to fail than neglected trees.
- Trees with one dominant trunk fair better than trees with co-dominant stems.
- Trees with bark inclusions are prone to falling apart.
- Large pruning cuts create decay and cracks that can lead to breakage in storms.
- Trees in a group blow down less frequently than single trees.
- Tree trunks can be hollow without openings in the lower trunk; these are prone to failure in storms.
- Trees that have failed before are likely to fail again.
- Topped trees break.
So while you are enjoying the relative peace in the wake of the storm, think of the lessons learned. Take care of the people and the trees that you love. And don’t be reluctant to get rid of the ones that may only end up hurting you.
Source: Trees and Hurricanes
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Hurricane Preparations for Your Landscape
Hurricane Irene is out there. Round and round she goes, and where (or when) she stalls, nobody knows.
In preparation for the weekend weather, first and foremost, make sure that your family and possessions are safe. But after that, take care of your landscape and gardens.
1) Walk around your yard and secure or put away any items that could become potential missiles. This includes rakes, shovels, buckets, hanging plants: Basically, anything that isn’t tied down. Remember, wind gusts could reach 70 mph or higher.
2) Move all potted plants indoors. If you have large potted trees, lay them on their sides if they can’t be easily moved.
3) Survey any trees in your landscape for weak or dead branches that may fall during hurricane force winds. Some trees are known for their brittle limbs, but any tree that is improperly pruned or has interior damage to trunk or limbs can have breakage in high winds. Trees with large, dense canopies can also be thinned to help prevent uprooting. If need be, call a certified arborist to help you assess your trees and trim them, as needed.
4) Any tree that is in soil which is too wet is more likely to blow over in heavy winds. Excessive watering, planting in the wrong location, poor drainage or too much rain can all create soil which is too wet to hold a tree erect. Other factors which can cause a tree to blow over are decayed roots, planting in confined soil spaces (such as between sidewalks and roadways) or soil compaction due to construction activity or heavy equipment driving over tree roots. Again, when in doubt, consult a certified arborist.
5) If you see any areas in your landscape where soil has washed away from tree roots, fill the holes up to the original ground level.
6) Stake young trees for the duration of the storm and until excess water has drained away.
7) Dispose of all branches and yard debris before the storm arrives.
8) Prune back any heavy vines that are growing on arbors, making them top heavy.
9) Stake or otherwise secure arbors, if possible.
10) Add soil to low areas with poor drainage. If necessary, add rocks to direct water away from downspouts or below where rooftops converge.
11) Place rocks, bricks or homemade sandbags (bags of mulch, sand or garden dirt work well) to help protect low lying plants from excessive flooding.
12) Make sure all drains in your landscape are clear and working properly.
13) Clean out gutters and downspouts.
14) Where possible, direct water from downspouts and rain barrel overflows away from your home.
15) Don’t fertilize, use insecticides or herbicides in your yard. Rain from the storm will wash chemicals off your property and into our waterways.
16) Harvest your vegetables and fruits. Remove plant supports.
17) Place screens over garden ponds to protect against falling leaves, branches and over debris.
18) Although you may be tempted to shelter or protect some of your prized plants, don’t cover them with anything that isn’t firmly secured from severe wind gusts. Just in case, take cuttings or collect seeds from any rare or sentimental plants.
Above all else, be safe!
Although there is still a chance that Irene could blow out to the Atlantic, News4's Tom Kierein says the increasingly likely track puts the hurricane off Ocean City Maryland sometime Saturday evening.
Passing through Ocean City, Irene would be close enough affect the Washington metro area. Heavy rains and strong gusty winds can be expected. (Source – Hurricane Irene Gaining Strength)
In preparation for the weekend weather, first and foremost, make sure that your family and possessions are safe. But after that, take care of your landscape and gardens.
1) Walk around your yard and secure or put away any items that could become potential missiles. This includes rakes, shovels, buckets, hanging plants: Basically, anything that isn’t tied down. Remember, wind gusts could reach 70 mph or higher.
2) Move all potted plants indoors. If you have large potted trees, lay them on their sides if they can’t be easily moved.
3) Survey any trees in your landscape for weak or dead branches that may fall during hurricane force winds. Some trees are known for their brittle limbs, but any tree that is improperly pruned or has interior damage to trunk or limbs can have breakage in high winds. Trees with large, dense canopies can also be thinned to help prevent uprooting. If need be, call a certified arborist to help you assess your trees and trim them, as needed.
4) Any tree that is in soil which is too wet is more likely to blow over in heavy winds. Excessive watering, planting in the wrong location, poor drainage or too much rain can all create soil which is too wet to hold a tree erect. Other factors which can cause a tree to blow over are decayed roots, planting in confined soil spaces (such as between sidewalks and roadways) or soil compaction due to construction activity or heavy equipment driving over tree roots. Again, when in doubt, consult a certified arborist.
5) If you see any areas in your landscape where soil has washed away from tree roots, fill the holes up to the original ground level.
6) Stake young trees for the duration of the storm and until excess water has drained away.
7) Dispose of all branches and yard debris before the storm arrives.
8) Prune back any heavy vines that are growing on arbors, making them top heavy.
9) Stake or otherwise secure arbors, if possible.
10) Add soil to low areas with poor drainage. If necessary, add rocks to direct water away from downspouts or below where rooftops converge.
11) Place rocks, bricks or homemade sandbags (bags of mulch, sand or garden dirt work well) to help protect low lying plants from excessive flooding.
12) Make sure all drains in your landscape are clear and working properly.
13) Clean out gutters and downspouts.
14) Where possible, direct water from downspouts and rain barrel overflows away from your home.
15) Don’t fertilize, use insecticides or herbicides in your yard. Rain from the storm will wash chemicals off your property and into our waterways.
16) Harvest your vegetables and fruits. Remove plant supports.
17) Place screens over garden ponds to protect against falling leaves, branches and over debris.
18) Although you may be tempted to shelter or protect some of your prized plants, don’t cover them with anything that isn’t firmly secured from severe wind gusts. Just in case, take cuttings or collect seeds from any rare or sentimental plants.
Above all else, be safe!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Can earthworms predict earthquakes?
Earthquakes emerging to the surface are supposed to be a tell-tale sign that an earthquake (or a flood) might be on the way. At least, that's what some people think.
Dr. Ikeya at Osaka University has been studying earthworms and earthquakes. Ikeya’s laboratory experiments were conducted to see if exposure to an electrical field or electromagnetic pulses could elicit animal behavior similar to what has been reported prior to earthquakes. The results: fish showed panic reactions, and earthworms moved out of the soil and swarmed when current was applied.
When asked why he decided to study the relationship between earthworms and earthquakes, Ikeya said:
The Kobe earthquake in 1995. I live 30 km from the epicenter and thought it strange that many earthworms dug themselves up in my small garden. At the time, I did not know the legend that a number of emerging earthworms is a sign of a large earthquake. Many people noticed this, including my neighbors.
(Source)
What about your pets or other critters? There are many theories that animals are more in tune with Mother Nature than humans. It's just something interesting to think about.
Here are some excerpts from an article on a U.S. Department of the Interior Website:
Rats, weasels, snakes, and centipedes reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days befor a destructive earthquake. Anectdotal evidence abounds of animals, fish, birds, reptiles, and insects exhibiting strange behavior anywhere from weeks to seconds before an earthquake. However, consistent and reliable behavior prior to seismic events, and a mechanism explaining how it could work, still eludes us. Most, but not all, scientists pursuing this mystery are in China or Japan.
We can easily explain the cause of unusual animal behavior seconds before humans feel an earthquake. Very few humans notice the smaller P wave that travels the fastest from the earthquake source and arrives before the larger S wave. But many animals with more keen senses are able to feel the P wave seconds before the S wave arrives. As for sensing an impending earthquake days or weeks before it occurs, that's a different story.
A recent popular theory purports that there is a correlation between Lost Pet ads in the San Jose Mercury News and the dates of earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area. A thorough statistical analysis of this theory, published in California Geology in 1988, concludes that there is no such correlation, however.
(Source)
So what did you notice? Were your pets or critters acting strange before the quake?
Waste Not, Want Not - Curbside Composting
So far, I haven’t gotten bad enough to dig through anyone’s trash for things that would make good compost. And if Howard County, Maryland’s idea for curbside compost pickup takes off and is adopted by other jurisdictions, I may never have to.
Compost is such a wonderful thing for a garden, and almost any green food scrap, plant waste or paper product, can be utilized to help make this garden goodie. But it is estimated that, in 2009, over 33 million tons of food waste and 13 million tons of yard waste ended up in municipal landfills. (Source)
Although most “green gardeners” have learned to use their own waste products to create compost, what about the many people that don’t have a garden or want to deal with compost?
Howard County is looking for volunteer households in the Elkridge and Ellicott City areas to participate in their new food scrap collection pilot program! Participants will receive a special food scrap collection cart that will be emptied weekly on recycling day. Their list of items, which are acceptable to recycle, include a few things that surprised me, including bread and other baked goods and pizza boxes.
The collected food scraps will eventually be composted and turned into a soil amendment. If successful, this program could reduce trash sent to the landfill in Howard County by 23%.
Another interesting fact that I read on their website (but never thought about before – I guess because we compost everything) is that composting food scraps is much better than using a garbage disposal for two reasons. 1) It saves water and 2) garbage disposal use sends excess nutrients that are expensive to treat to the wastewater treatment facilities.
If you live in Howard County, I urge you to support this program. For more information, visit the Food Scrap Recycling Page on the Howard County website.
Of course, DC area residents can have their own curbside composting through Compost Cab. Compost Cab will provide you with a bin, collect your organics and deliver them to a local urban farm for composting. There is an $8.00 per week charge for their services. BUT (and here's the really great thing) CompostCab will even help you recycle your compostable materials at parties, picnics, weddings and other special events!! With Compost Cab, I can once again attend parties angst free!
What’s in if for you? According to their website “Cleaner air. Less waste. A smaller carbon footprint. A greener home or business. A stronger community.”
And, of course, you don’t have to worry about me coming by and picking through your garbage.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
WSSC's Fishing Derby - the perfect lesson in WHY you are a "green gardener"
Although I've always been a nature lover and gardener, it wasn't until I met my husband, an avid fisherman, that I learned the direct correlation between how I gardened and the health of local fish. He's the one that taught me that all of those fertilizers and other chemicals I was using in my garden could be finding their way into local water supplies, causing fish deformities and death.
So take your kids fishing, and spend a little time letting them know that their eco-friendly gardening practices help keep those fish healthy.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s annual Family Fishing Derby is Saturday, August 27 at its Triadelphia Recreation Area. This catch-and-release event promises prizes – and plenty of fish tales – for first-timers and fishing veterans alike.
Located at 2600 Triadelphia Lake Road in Brookeville, the derby begins at 9 a.m. and the final weigh-in is at noon. Prizes will be awarded for biggest fish and most fish caught – child and adult. A Maryland fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older.
The recreation area includes picnic tables and a playground set.
Register in person at Brighton Dam Visitor’s Center, 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville, MD, 20833, by phone at 301-206-8240 or by e-mail to: saugust@wsscwater.com. More information is available on the WSSC website, www.wsscwater.com on the home page.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Don't Miss the DC State Fair - August 27th
The second DC State Fair is being held on Saturday, August 27, from
10 AM to 6 PM. The contests have expanded this year–you can check out
all the details by clicking on the links at http://dcstatefair.wordpress.com/2011contests.
The deadlines are approaching for the Crafts contests, Baked Goods contests, and Prepared Foods contests. If you're a crafty, culinarily inclined, or canmaster DC resident, submit your entries by midnight on Thursday the 25th to ensure your spot in the competition! Those who enter veggies grown in a DC community garden can win their garden a gift card donated by Behnke's!
This year, we have the following contests being judged at the Fair:
Baked Goods Contests
Pie Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best crust, and best apple pie)
Cupcake Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best appearance, and best vegetable-containing cupcake)
Craft Contests (special category prize for best craft containing recycled content)
DC Portrait Contest
Bike Accessory Contest
Vegetable Sculpture Contest
Vegetable Contests (special category prize for community garden with most entries)
Funkiest-Looking Vegetable Contest
Longest Vegetable Contest
Heaviest Vegetable Contest
Tastiest Tomato Contest
Prepared Foods Contests
Cucumber pickle
Other vegetable pickle
Fruit pickle
Jam/Jelly
The Homebrew and Photography contests returned this year, but as last year, judging has already occurred, but the winners will be announced at the Fair.
Check out www.dcstatefair.org/event-details for more information about the day!
Information provided by Kenneth Moore
DC State Fair President
The deadlines are approaching for the Crafts contests, Baked Goods contests, and Prepared Foods contests. If you're a crafty, culinarily inclined, or canmaster DC resident, submit your entries by midnight on Thursday the 25th to ensure your spot in the competition! Those who enter veggies grown in a DC community garden can win their garden a gift card donated by Behnke's!
This year, we have the following contests being judged at the Fair:
Baked Goods Contests
Pie Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best crust, and best apple pie)
Cupcake Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best appearance, and best vegetable-containing cupcake)
Craft Contests (special category prize for best craft containing recycled content)
DC Portrait Contest
Bike Accessory Contest
Vegetable Sculpture Contest
Vegetable Contests (special category prize for community garden with most entries)
Funkiest-Looking Vegetable Contest
Longest Vegetable Contest
Heaviest Vegetable Contest
Tastiest Tomato Contest
Prepared Foods Contests
Cucumber pickle
Other vegetable pickle
Fruit pickle
Jam/Jelly
The Homebrew and Photography contests returned this year, but as last year, judging has already occurred, but the winners will be announced at the Fair.
Check out www.dcstatefair.org/event-details for more information about the day!
Information provided by Kenneth Moore
DC State Fair President
Beautyberry Plants help beat the skeeters
Wildlife: The fruit is high in moisture content and is an important food source for more than forty species of songbirds including the American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, and Eastern Towhee. The drupes or clusters are eaten by armadillo, foxes, opossum, raccoon and squirrels. White tailed deer consume the fruit in the fall after leaf drop. They also browse the leaves in summer when highly preferred foods are not available. Protein content of the leaves ranges from 18 percent in spring to 8 percent in fall. (Source)
Beautyberry is a native plant that requires absolutely no additional care in my yard.
BUT, I'm starting to appreciate the beautyberry plant for a whole new reason....it's ability to help repel mosquitoes.
I had heard about the mosquito repelling qualities of beautyberry long before I finally gave it a try. But for the last week or so, I've been using it when I go outside in the evenings.
I pull a few leaves off of a plant and crush the leaf and roll it on my arms and legs. I can honestly say that I have seen a drastic reduction in the number of mosquito bites.
Studies by the USDA Agriculture Research Service have concluded that the compound found in these plants - "callicarpenal" - may be as effective as DEET in warding off moquitoes.
If you don't have any beautyberry plants on your property, I encourage you to get one or two. Do it for the critters that love them (birds and more), the critters that hate them (mosquitoes!), or just for yourself. Every garden can use a little more purple!
For more information: Folk Remedy Yields Mosquito-Thwarting Compound
Friday, August 19, 2011
Formula for success - planting fall vegetables
August isn't really my favorite month. By now, I've had enough of summer heat and I'm anxious for autumn. And yet, I know that the respite that autumn holds, of colored leaves, cooler temperatures and visits to the local pumpkin patch will arrive and depart all too quickly, to be replaced by the bitterness of winter.
And so, August prods me to go outside.
The tricky part is trying to determine what can still be planted in August. Although it may seem far away, the first frost date is lurking out there in the shadows and needs to be taken into consideration for planting any cold sensitive plants, especially anything that produces fruit or vegetables.
Of course, no one can predict when the first frost of the season will actually occur. Sources such as the National Climatic Data Center, The Farmers Almanac, and Victory Seeds all list different dates for the average "first killing frost date" for DC. The earliest of which seems to be October 17th.....less than 60 days away. (Although a more accurate date is probably late October or early to mid November).
So now that we know that date, we can do a little math to determine what can still be planted.
I found this somewhat confusing formula on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website (as well as many other sites around the internet). I found it odd that none of them explained it fully and I have to admit I was a little lost. After looking at it a little closer, I've come up with my own explanation of what it is supposed to mean. The formula:
1) First, if you are growing your plants from seeds, you have to determine the average number of days for the seeds to germinate. Most seed packets will contain this information. It can also be found on many seed catalog websites. Here is a list I found on the Heirloom Seeds website.
2) I asked several "garden experts" I know what they thought "average harvest period" meant. To me, it was logical to think it meant the time from when a plant sprouts until when you can expect to start your "harvest". Other people thought it might mean the length of harvest period.
3) According to the University of Virginia Extension website "The Fall Factor takes into account the slower growth that results from cooler weather and shorter days in the fall and amounts to about two weeks."
4) "The Frost Tender Factor is added only for those crops that are sensitive to frost (corn, bean, cucumber, tomato, squash), as these must mature two weeks before frost in order to produce a reasonable harvest."
So if you take all of those numbers, add, subtract, carry the one, etc. you can probably determine what you can still plant with the hopes of getting some more luscious home grown food and veggies before old man winter comes along and spoils your plans for fresh, homegrown produce.
If you would rather spend your time planting instead of doing math, the folks at Johnny's Selected Seeds were kind enough to let me share their Fall Planting Calculator with you. Just put your cursor in the the square over the When to Plant column, and plug in the date that you think the first killing frost will occur. The worksheet does the rest for you.
They've got other great calculators on their website including a seed calculator, a target harvest date calculator, a caterpillar tunnel worksheet, and more. I encourage you to check them out!
More information from the Virginia Cooperative Extension:
Fall Vegetable Gardening
And so, August prods me to go outside.
The tricky part is trying to determine what can still be planted in August. Although it may seem far away, the first frost date is lurking out there in the shadows and needs to be taken into consideration for planting any cold sensitive plants, especially anything that produces fruit or vegetables.
Of course, no one can predict when the first frost of the season will actually occur. Sources such as the National Climatic Data Center, The Farmers Almanac, and Victory Seeds all list different dates for the average "first killing frost date" for DC. The earliest of which seems to be October 17th.....less than 60 days away. (Although a more accurate date is probably late October or early to mid November).
So now that we know that date, we can do a little math to determine what can still be planted.
I found this somewhat confusing formula on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website (as well as many other sites around the internet). I found it odd that none of them explained it fully and I have to admit I was a little lost. After looking at it a little closer, I've come up with my own explanation of what it is supposed to mean. The formula:
- Number of days for seeds to germinate, if you grow your own from seed +
- Average harvest period +
- Fall Factor (about two weeks) +
- Frost Tender Factor (if applicable; 2 weeks =
- Days to count back from first frost date.
1) First, if you are growing your plants from seeds, you have to determine the average number of days for the seeds to germinate. Most seed packets will contain this information. It can also be found on many seed catalog websites. Here is a list I found on the Heirloom Seeds website.
2) I asked several "garden experts" I know what they thought "average harvest period" meant. To me, it was logical to think it meant the time from when a plant sprouts until when you can expect to start your "harvest". Other people thought it might mean the length of harvest period.
3) According to the University of Virginia Extension website "The Fall Factor takes into account the slower growth that results from cooler weather and shorter days in the fall and amounts to about two weeks."
4) "The Frost Tender Factor is added only for those crops that are sensitive to frost (corn, bean, cucumber, tomato, squash), as these must mature two weeks before frost in order to produce a reasonable harvest."
So if you take all of those numbers, add, subtract, carry the one, etc. you can probably determine what you can still plant with the hopes of getting some more luscious home grown food and veggies before old man winter comes along and spoils your plans for fresh, homegrown produce.
If you would rather spend your time planting instead of doing math, the folks at Johnny's Selected Seeds were kind enough to let me share their Fall Planting Calculator with you. Just put your cursor in the the square over the When to Plant column, and plug in the date that you think the first killing frost will occur. The worksheet does the rest for you.
They've got other great calculators on their website including a seed calculator, a target harvest date calculator, a caterpillar tunnel worksheet, and more. I encourage you to check them out!
More information from the Virginia Cooperative Extension:
Fall Vegetable Gardening
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