Time for mid-summer planting

Vacant mid-summer "real estate"

Although warm season vegetables should be coming along well by now, don't forget about what you want to do with the vacant "real estate" in your garden from previous plantings.

April/May/June harvests of cool season and quick maturing vegetable crops often leave holes in the garden. While there is no problem with leaving ground fallow, do know that if planted before mid-July, a harvest can be gained yet this season. "60 dayers" (vegetables with 60 days to harvest or less) are what to think about planting now. Surprisingly, many cool season vegetables work well. Even though planted in the heat of summer, they will mature in cooler fall weather and be of good quality.

For more specifics on what to do to make a vegetable garden more productive from mid-summer through fall, consider attending my "Follow-on vegetable gardening" class at the Denver Botanic Gardens July 12 (click here for details).

Photo credit: Bare ground from harvest of spring crops - Carl Wilson