Save space for Space spinach in your fall veggie garden. The tasty flat leaves are easier to clean and serve.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
Sure, it’s hot outside, but believe it or not, it is time to crank up the fall veggie garden.
One of my favorite cool-season edibles to raise is spinach—it is not only easy to grow, but is also a healthy treat low in calories while high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium. And did I mention tasty, too?
Spinach is a snap to start from seed in the garden, but don’t be so quick to get ’em in the ground. Soil temperatures in the mid-80s can really put the brakes on seed germination, so wait until at least the middle of this month to begin sowing spinach seeds, or, if you prefer, set in starter plants. Not in a hurry? For South Carolina, anytime in September is ideal for a planting party.
Spinach grows best in soil with a neutral pH, so, if your garden’s grounds tend to lean toward the acidic side, early this month, incorporate a dusting of lime into the planting area. And while you are working the dirt over, mix in gobs of compost or commercial soil conditioner to develop a fertile, loamy base that will support strong growth from spinach plants.
Fertilizer, of course, also fuels fast spinach growth, and since this is a vegetable grown for its leaves, high-nitrogen plant food is welcome. I don’t overthink this requirement myself because, for years, I have scratched in scatterings of common 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 at planting time, added additional light dustings every three to four weeks while the plants are growing, and have always had a bumper crop.
An inch of water weekly is another requirement for quick-growing spinach, so, if the autumn rains don’t come, have the garden hose ready to go.
And just what cultivar should you choose? Bloomsdale Long Standing has been a garden standard for years, but it is a Savoy selection, meaning it has deep curls, nooks and crannies that make thoroughly cleaning dirt, dust and the occasional six-legged critter off a bit of a bear. The popular Melody, although wrinkled, is less crinkled than Bloomsdale Long Standing. Space, another growers’ favorite, has even smoother leaves, making for easier prep in the kitchen.
Don’t be in a hurry to harvest all your spinach before the first frosts because these hardy plants can stand temps down into 20s. Actually, a little bit of frost helps to sweeten the taste. As for picking spinach, pick often, and go for the outer, older leaves first.
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August in the Garden
• Nandinas, hollies and pyracanthas will benefit from supplemental waterings during extended arid times this summer because, if stressed by hot, dry conditions, they could drop their immature berries.
• Like weird bulbs? Sternbergias, colchicums and autumn-flowering crocuses will scratch that itch. Planted now—yep, even in the sizzle of the summer—these bulbous beauties will quickly emerge, mature and flower in the cool of the coming fall.
• One garden chore NOT to do this month is prune any shrubs or trees. Cutting healthy branches back stimulates new growth, which probably won’t have time to harden off before the serious, killing freezes of winter arrive. For the same reason, fertilizing your woodies now is a no-no as well.
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Tip of the Month
The pursuit of perfectly shaped, home-grown tomatoes can be spoiled at this time of the gardening season by a problem known as cracking. This condition is marked by concentric, unappetizing rings circling the stems or vertical splits along the sides of ripening fruits. The problem usually occurs when a big rain falls after an extended dry spell. So much ground moisture suddenly available to tomato plants causes the fruits to expand quickly and literally crack out of their skins. Mulching the plants will help steady the moisture supply, and a regular watering schedule during extended stretches of rainless skies will also prevent this disorder.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.