IT’S PLANTING TIME !!!!!!

Yes it is time to plant your ‘Fall Garden’.

Around this time of year in Idaho and next week in Utah is the time to plant your Fall Garden.

I usually plant peas, cress, lettuce, spinach and radishes. This crop will be the sweetest and most rewarding crop in your garden. Because of the cooler temperatures, the radishes and lettuce don’t ‘go to seed’. Going to seed is when the radishes don’t form but the tops go to seed. This makes the radish very bitter and hard, not good at all.

Even when it freezes, the lettuce and radishes aren’t harmed. They seem to be sweeter because of the cool weather.

So if you have any seeds laying around from this Spring, plant today !!!!!
I planted on August 3rd and my radishes are up now and looking good. You can even plant in the same row that finished growing, like lettuce, radishes or peas.
Just dig up the row, dig the old vegetables in or put them in the compost and then plant the new vegetables.

NOTE: I recently read that in order to have radishes that aren’t hot, water them when they are young and tender. Keep them damp, and they will be much sweeter too. Most of these Fall vegetables like lots of water so watch them closely.

CRESS, MY FAVORITE OF THE WEEK

GARDEN CRESS

First of all what is Garden Cress? It is a green leafy vegetable, sometimes called Pepper Grass. It is related to mustard and watercress and has a spicy or tangy taste. I plant it in the early Spring. In fact, I have some that went to seed last year and I noticed some small plants growing under the adult plants last Fall. I hope when it warms up, the other seeds will germinate and I will have some very early cress. I plan to plant a ‘Spring Garden' very early this year, with lettuce, radishes, spinach, onions and such, I'll keep you posted.

I plant cress thick and harvest it when it is about three inches tall, I trim it with scissors and it will continue to grow. I like eating it on sandwiches instead of lettuce, my favorite is a cress and radish sandwich. It adds a little kick to your sandwich or salad. Usually, when the weather gets hot, the cress will go to seed. I save the seed and plant it again next year.

I have always saved the seed from my garden cress and it always comes up. I have saved and planted this seed for over 20 years. I have some old seed that I know is over 15 years old. I will test it this year to see if it will germinate. This is one vegetable I know will last generation after generation. You can ‘broadcast' this seed, by planting a two foot by two foot square area. Plant cress every few weeks to have a staggered harvest.

I plant a Fall crop too, usually around the end of July or first of August. The cress loves cool weather and doesn't go to seed, or get bitter in the Fall. It stays sweet longer, my best crop is in the Fall. I also plant spinach, lettuce, radishes and peas in my ‘Fall Garden.' The flavor of these Fall crops is incredible.