in the deep of the summer when i'm up to my elbows in tomatoes & bell peppers, the last thing i am thinking about is the fall garden. really & truly, my favorite gardens around here are in the spring & fall, but i never quite seem to plant my fall garden on time. thankfully, my farmer husband is always peering at the planting calendar & thinking ahead.
unfortunately for us in the thick of the south, direct seeding can be a bit difficult in the late summer. it's far too hot during the day & the soil tends to dry out too quickly. today i am here to share a tip we use in our garden for better germination rates when the weather is too hot & dry.
when we plant difficult to germinate seeds, such as carrots and lettuce, into the soil, my husband lays a scrap piece of burlap over the area where we planted. every morning he soaks the burlap with water to help keep the soil moist for ideal germination.
once the little seedlings pop out of the soil, he removes the burlap.
we expect a significant increase in germination rates with this technique! if you're living in the south with above normal hot & dry weather, try out this tip & let us know how your garden grows!
-natalie
I'm glad to hear I am not the only one who has a hard time getting fall crops in on time. I just used this same technique with beets, using row cover fabric, and it worked like a charm. Especially since we are finally having hot weather at the very end of summer, this is a most useful tip!
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