I'm writing this on a gray summer morning in the San Francisco Bay area. The temperature is cool and the sky is overcast. The haze will burn off in early afternoon, revealing blue skies and sunshine all afternoon, and then return in the evening. This is typical for this time of year, and may help conserve whatever moisture is still locked in our clay soil.
 |
| Cherry tomatoes ripening in September |
Today I'm checking the website maintained by the University of California Master Gardeners of Alameda County, specifically to see what the Month-by-Month page recommends for July, August, and September. Here in the East Bay, the temperature has been characteristically cool, typically in the high 60s or low 70s during the day (and mid-50s at night). This is the type of condition that prompted Mark Twain's classic quote, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." We'll experience our heat in September and early October, so I'll enjoy the cooler temperatures now.
July has already passed, but fertilizing, watering, and harvesting crops planted earlier in the season were the main activities, as well as deadheading flowers. August is the month to start planting fall crops, such as broccoli, mustard, cabbage, beets, carrots, lettuce, green onions, potatoes, peas, and so forth. You can also plant cool-season annuals, such calendula (a dyer's favorite)! In September, harvesting continues, as well as composting, planting cover crops to preserve the soil, and planting onions. You can also set out cool-season annuals such as pansies and primrose, which thrive as we head into the colder winter months. It's not too late to plant!
No comments:
Post a Comment