End of summer sowing

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While the harvests have started in mid-summer, several spaces have been freed up in the vegetable garden. We can of course cover them with biodegradable material, such as mulch, to prevent erosion, but we can also use them to start new crops.

Calculate the number of days before the first cold weather        

Quebec being a large territory, the first cold weather does not arrive everywhere at the same time. To know if you can resow, you need to know the approximate date when the first cold weather begins. Today, it is not always easy, because with climate change the beginnings of the seasons are sometimes later and the end of the seasons too.          

In warmer regions, vegetables can be grown that require 45 days before being harvested, while in colder regions only those from 18 to 20 days can be sown.

Photo credit: summer harvest basket, Érika Dionne

Choosing the right species and varieties

Not all vegetables can be planted a second time. For example, with the exception of very compact varieties, tomatoes require 55 to 75 days to reach maturity, while we only have 45 days to the maximum. We must therefore select species whose cultivation period is short.

Among these vegetables, you also have to choose the right varieties. For example, some varieties of bok choy require 30 days of culture, while others ask for it 50.

Vegetables by maturity date

From fastest to slowest:

Photo credit: Pictogram of the number of days to maturity, The gardens of the ecoumene

Harvest dates are approximate and may vary depending on weather and growing conditions.

To learn more about the days of harvesting seeds from ecoumene gardens, consult the article Understanding “days to maturity or harvest” in the ÉcouInfo section.

Sowing directly in the vegetable garden

Most of the time we proceed by sowing, directly in the vegetable garden. The challenge is then watering since at the time of sowing the heat is still quite present. THE bok choy , lettuce , rockets and kidney beans can also be sown in containers outdoors or indoors before being transplanted into the vegetable garden.

Whatever the situation, if the heat is still very present, it is sometimes indicated to provide shade to the young plants during the hottest hours of the day. A Bio Plus protective net protects both from the blazing sun and from insect pests.

Protective net – 2,1m x 10m

Extend the season

If the temperature is expected to cool down, particularly at night, it is always possible to set up mini-tunnels covered with a Bio Plus protective net, An Novagryl floating cover, or a DeWitt protective cloth. An old sheet can also act as temporary protection. Spinach, lettuce, lamb's lettuce, mixed greens, turnips and radishes from all months can be protected in this way.

Photo credit: The gardens of the ecoumene

Rather than vegetables, you can opt for growing green manure. See Écouinfo on this subject: Green manures; a technique that greatly benefits your crops.

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