# I started some 'starts' for fall planting



## Tammy (Jun 21, 2012)

I've never planted anything for fall gardening before because well, usually, by fall, I'm so tired of gardening because I was so busy watering, picking, canning, etc. all summer long. well since my garden was pretty pathetic this year and I have very little left in it right now, I decided to try some fall stuff. I didn't have much left as far as seeds but still have lettuce and spinach, so I started with just that. I got some old clay pots out of my shed and planted the seeds last night. I have them sitting under the eaves of my house where it stays cooler and shaded all day. Our days are in the 80's right now but our nights are getting down into the low 50's, so I'm hoping this will be cool enough for them to germinate and start growing. I figure in about 4 wks, hopefully our days will be cool enough that I can transplant them into a shadier part of my garden.


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## stephanie (Jun 21, 2012)

spinach should do fine from now till when it freezes for more than 24 hrs straight same for lettuces. for me it is not a great idea to plant with out row covers after oct because every thing will go dormant or freeze solid, nothing grows well in snow and ice with out allot of help. I do have one raised bed with a way to cover it for winter. Don't think I am going to do any thing this winter though need to top dress my beds for spring planting.


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## Tammy (Jun 21, 2012)

yeah definitely gets too wet up there by october time. I can recall many halloweens where we are still in shorts and sweatshirts, so i'm hoping this fall will be like that with cooler nights but still around 70's in the day. i think lettuce/spinach might work during that time. I just hate going back to buying lettuce in the stores and having to eat it all in a few days or it gets all wilted or slimed. My homegrown lettuce has lasted up to 4 wks in the fridge.


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## stephanie (Jun 21, 2012)

yes fresh does last so much longer had it this year because I did the cover the lettuce thing threw winter so it would survive. I was getting fresh lettuce up till late june here then it bolted.


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## keagle (Sep 18, 2012)

I too planted romaine and spinach seeds a few weeks ago. They are doing great so far!


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## veggiewhisperer (Jun 22, 2012)

Glad to hear others enjoying the second season already. I started broccoli, beets, carrots, and butter crunch lettuce. I'll start my spinach this weekend since the weather has been at a consistent mid to high 70.


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

Im going to put gutters inside my greenhouse for lettuce or spinach,stephanie or tammy what do you suggest


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

*Tomato*

Ok heres a question some body must know,,i have a great amount of blossoms on 4 of my tomato plants ,the blossoms dry up and dont produce a tomato because its still to dam hot in my greenhouse,over 100 degrees ,should i pinch off the blossom when it blooms to make my plant stronger or just leave it alone and let it dry up,,ty


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## Tammy (Jun 21, 2012)

I'm sorry John - I don't know the answer to either question. I've never used gutters for planting before, and I had such bad luck with tomatos this year. I also had blossoms that would just dry up and never turn into fruit, but I assumed it had to do with pollination, rather than heat.


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## teresainPa (Sep 19, 2012)

My guess is that if you see thats it's starting to dry up go ahead and pinch it that way you're giving the plant more strength to
use elsewhere .... I'm far from a professional though, just my thought.


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

Ok thanks a bunch,i will do the pinch thing,lol. I think it will make the plant stonger,until it bares fruit,,i hope,,did you happen to see the pics i posted,,


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

I have fans for pollination, didnt really think it was that until you mentioned it,,geez now i dont know,lol,lol,im going to fertilize these plants,,have you seen my pics i posted,,im not sure they posted,,human error,lol


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## stephanie (Jun 21, 2012)

sorry no help here, never planted in gutters but have seen pictures of it being done. I do know spinach does very well in cool climate conditions.


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## Errol (Jun 21, 2012)

John, when the temp reaches above the 90 degree mark, the blossoms will drop off, also the same if temps fall down in the 50's. If you can control the temps in your greenhouse in the 70's or low 80's you will be ok. At 70's-low 80's the vine will produce blooms again. your idea of using gutters (with drain holes) sounds like a great idea. they would be deep enough for lettuce and spinach. In the winter I grow lettuce, radishes, carrots in cold frames. I have 5 cold frames that I use for this. They are about 16" deep so I just put in about 6-8 inches of compost, horse manure and rotted sawdust/sand, Also cabbage is a good fall crop, even into early winter. A couple light frost's makes cabbage, broccoli, and Kale somewhat sweeter. Kale can even go through the whole winter. I have sown peas in october, and with a row cover, I had really early spring peas when most people were just started sowing spring peas!


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

Errol thanks for the info,sounds like you got it going on,im new at all of this,,but im not buying store tomatos for that price anymore,,lol have a great day...im going to buy shade cloth and put it on the roof of greenhouse,,did you see my pics by chance,


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## roni (Jul 20, 2012)

I read that if you wet down the greenhouse floor, it will help cool it down. I also have two floor fans running in opposite directions to increase air flow.


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## Errol (Jun 21, 2012)

John, no I did not get a chance to see your pictures, I do want to see...You are lucky, as I don't have a greenhouse, but I do the next best thing with row covers, cold frames and I "winter sow" in gallon plastic water/milk jugs and 2 litter pop bottles. If anyone has never wintersown,in plastic containers you should look into it...wintersown.org 
good gardening


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## JOHN12 (Sep 14, 2012)

Hi roni,,thanks for the info,,ive got fans in there and the floor gets wet when i water in the morning,,but you know its still was 100 degrees in there yesterday at 4.30 pm,,im going after shade cloth to put on the roof,,


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