Summer to winter plant transition in Johnston County, and it's August – So What’s the Big Deal?! 🌻🥕
By Millissa H Flanagan
Johnston County Master Gardener
This is the perfect time to start planning your garden's switch from summer's heat to the cooler days of fall and winter. No worries - You can keep enjoying beautiful flowers and fresh veggies well into the colder months. Just be aware that plants are picky about temperature, sunlight, and water, so knowing what they like is key!
Timing is Everything! ⏰
First: Get Your Garden Ready: Clean Up and Recharge! 🌱
1. Clear Out the Old & Check What's Left
Remove any summer flowers or veggies that look tired, diseased, or aren't producing. If your tomatoes are done, pull them. If your petunias look sad, replace them. But if some plants are still going strong, let them be! Just make space for your new plants.
2. Refresh Your Soil
After clearing, it's vital to give your garden beds a boost. Make sure to get a soil test to see what nutrients are needed. Then, amend the soil as recommended while ensuring your soil maintains good drainage. Compost is a great idea but careful to follow the guidance from your NC PAL soil result report.
3. Pick Your Winter Garden Stars: Flowers AND Food!
Choose carefully – luck for us, because our county has mild winters, our cool-season gardening window is longer.
Now - Late Summer (Mid-July to August): This is your head start! Begin starting cool-season veggie seeds indoors. Think broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
Early Fall (September - Mid-October): When nights consistently drop into the 50s-60s°F, it's time to transplant or directly sow seeds outdoor.
For Veggies: Directly plant seeds for quick growers like radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, and spinach. Also, plant out those veggie seedlings you started indoors.
For Flowers: Plant cool-season annuals like pansies, violas, and snapdragons. This gives them time to build strong roots before winter.
Late Fall (Late October - November):
For Veggies: Keep planting small batches of greens for continuous harvests. Plant garlic cloves and onion sets for a spring crop.
For Flowers: Plant spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils and tulips
4. Plant Smart & Protect
Give each plant enough space. For veggies, try "succession planting" – plant small amounts of greens every few weeks to get continuous harvests. If a cold snap is coming, cover more delicate plants with row covers to protect your plants from wind and frost. Know your frost dates – for our county – November can bring the first frost date.
5. Water Wisely & Fertilize Lightly
Winter plants need less water than summer ones, but still need some, especially during dry spells. Water deeply but not too often to avoid soggy roots. You usually don't need to fertilize much in winter. If growth is slow, a tiny bit of balanced fertilizer can help, but don't overdo it.
6. Clean your tools and garden shed.
Take the time to clean our tools and store them away properly for the spring. It is a good time to not only tidy up your garden shed but also stock up on pruning shears, soil amendments and fertilizers needed for the spring.
Enjoy the switch to Winter Planting and the gorgeous fall colors and produce to come!!
For fun fall planting events and viewing – here are a few options:
Cluckinfunfarm Pumpkin Patch and Charity trick or treat trail in conjunction with the Johnston County Boys and Girls club. Pumpkins, Ghords, red clover and sunflowers will be planted for the fall. www.cluckinfunfarm.com.
Follow the Johnston County Visitors bureau for upcoming events showcasing fall plants!! http://johnstoncountync.org.
Additional resources: North Carolina State Extension Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ ; JC Raulston Arboretum https://jcra.ncsu.edu/