One of the principles of gardening: we collect the first crop - we prepare the second. So what to plant in the garden in June-July-August after harvesting vegetables? For example, after a radish? The vegetation period in the Kuban is quite long. This allows you to get at least two crops of some vegetables. I always look with regret at the empty bed of radishes or winter onions, which were planted on greens for the first spring salads.
I must say that the set of vegetables that can be planted in July-August is not limited to the seeds of radish and daikon. Many already know this.
Salads
First of all, these are salads, which are desirable to have on your table all year round. By the way, salads are such crops that can be sown throughout the summer with an interval of 10-15 days.
This is a common lettuce - leaf, head or half-head varieties and hybrids, which we used to see on our beds in early spring. I must say that not all varieties of lettuce work out during summer sowing. Some varieties quickly coarse and go into color. Therefore, pay attention to the description on the back of the bag of seeds. Usually they write: this variety is suitable for summer sowing. These varieties are suitable for sowing in July-August. I advise a half-rolled variety of Excitement, it is neutral to the length of the day. Gourmet early leaf lettuce is resistant to flowering. Leaf variety Red-leafed summer - suitable for cultivation throughout the season.
These are various varieties of watercress, which can be grown not only in open ground or in greenhouses, but even on the windowsill. It is best in the summer in the open ground to sow late-ripe varieties of watercress. They are more resistant to shooting. Watercress crops in August are the most magnificent, the most delicious. I advise the late ripe Accord variety.
This is arugula salad, which has recently gained more and more popularity. It is better to sow it in August, as it is a short-day plant.
Cabbage
In addition to salads, cabbage can be sown in the second half of summer. But mid-season, late-ripening varieties are not suitable for summer sowing. If for some reason you have failed seedlings of late ripening varieties, then do not despair - everything can be fixed in the middle of summer. Choose early ripe varieties or even ultra ripe ones. They are grown at this time by direct sowing in the ground. Seeds will germinate quickly if you keep the bed moist for this period. Well spill the bed before sowing, cover with spanbond, lutrasil, agrospan with an index of 30 to trap moisture in the soil. Heads of cabbage will be ready in the month of September.
Of course, this cabbage is not intended for long-term winter storage. But for fermentation or short-term storage, it is quite suitable. These are such hybrids as Nazomi F1, Cossack F1. Sow cabbage on an empty bed after onions. After radishes, cabbage is not recommended.
Peas, Asparagus Beans
You can grow vegetables such as peas and asparagus beans during summer sowing in the garden. When sowing, it is advisable to use bush varieties of asparagus beans. They give a small compact bush with ripening fruits at the same time. These are varieties - Sax without fiber 675, Dewdrop. They are not intended to collect beans, but to obtain blades. Will grow well after radishes, onions, lettuce.
Beetroot
Few people know that in the second half of summer (late July), you can sow vegetables such as carrots and beets to get tender young root crops in the September-October month. Of course, they are also not intended for long-term storage - this is, so to speak, a treat.
Radish
And, of course, the second half of the summer is the time for sowing various varieties of radish. There are among them recently popular daikons, Chinese, Japanese, our usual black Russian radish. The only requirement for summer sowing of radish is to observe crop rotation. Do not sow radish after radish, cabbage - they have the same pests.
The best predecessor for radish is a cucumber. All radishes need a large supply of nutrients in the soil, and a lot of organic matter is usually applied to the cucumber when sowing. They love loose, light soil, as some varieties form root crops up to 30-40 cm long. Do not bury the seeds. On the one hand, seed germination slows down, and on the other, fruits are formed deeply, it will be difficult for you to extract them from the ground. Due to the deep sowing, seedlings are very rarefied. But thicken the radish crops also should not be. Radish is a large plant. When sowing, observe a distance of 30-40 cm in rows and 20-30 cm between plants.
Radish, dill
And further. Do not forget that the vacant beds in the garden in the second half of summer, more specifically, at the end of August, you can sow the same radish in order to enjoy juicy root crops in the fall. Radish can be sown in the aisles of strawberry garden or in the vacant place after harvesting onions.
Dill sown in August-September is always juicier, more magnificent than spring.
Processing empty beds
If you are not going to occupy vacant beds in other vegetable plants, then take care to preserve the fertility of these areas. Or work to restore this fertility if it was absent.
If you have encountered fungal or bacterial diseases on your beds (and they are now almost everywhere), then use Fitosporin for digging and tillage. Spill the vacant area before digging with Fitosporin solution. This is a good protection against fungal, bacterial diseases.
Now there are new drugs to protect plants from these diseases. These are Phosphatovit and Azotovit - microbiological fertilizers that restore microflora, the fertility of depleted soils. These drugs are also useful in areas that have alkaline conditions. They help plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus well from the soil, even on salt marshes. In these preparations, seeds and tubers can be soaked. They have been used for several years in professional circles, and among summer residents are almost unknown.
Do not leave the scavenger
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in the second half of summer, crops on fruit trees begin to sing. There is always a scavenger - fruits that fall from a tree without ripening. Be sure to collect the scavenger, because, as a rule, these are wormy fruits affected by the apple, pear, plum moth. If you do not collect the scavenger under the tree or pile it somewhere, then you will leave the pests to winter in your area. Be sure to take the carcass away from your garden or bury to a depth of at least 50-60 cm.
Finally, I would like to know, and what do you plant on the vacant land in your garden? What can be planted in the garden at the end of summer?