The autumn vegetable garden

 

The east end of the autumn vegetable garden. The other end needs to be weeded before I take pictures. You can seed that rabbits (or something else) has been eating the plants that were close to the fence on the right side of the frame.

Two rows of "Winter Crisp" Chinese Cabbage on left side of frame. I seeded in flats on July 3. This is what I like to see, plants filling their allotted space and shading the ground. That goes a long way toward suppressing weeds.

This is what the plants looked like July 20 when I moved them into the garden. You can see that they had phenomenal growth in the last month.

The second flight of cabbage was launched 14 days later. This variety is named Hwi Mo Ri Hybrid (Korean, maybe?). If I had named it, I would have called it Ho Ri Chit Hybrid. The plant to the right was a weed in the next flat of seedlings.

Figaro Shallots planted in double-rows. Onions are a staple if you cook from simple, basic ingredients. They are one of the Cajun Unholy Trinity. Based on spacing and row length, I think I have about 200 of these seedlings planted.

I planted the onion seeds July 1 and should have moved them sooner.

China Gold Chinese Cabbage. Seeds planted the last week of July

The last six feet of garden was left-over. I broadcast a Duke's mixture of old seeds and then watered the garden to settle the newly transplanted seedlings into place.

It is critical to "melt" the clods and granules of soil into the exposed roots of the newly planted seedlings if they are going to be able to suck up water from the soil.

It is not too late

It is not too late to be planting for an autumn harvest even if you live in a northern state like Michigan.

Bonus pictures

Potatoes? Check.    Onions? Check.  Carrots? (will have to buy).  Gravy? I have a recipe.    What are we missing?

Joe Pye Weed. I didn't have a good picture for the Flowers of Late Summer post.