A Cool-Season Trio to Seed in September

Gardener’s Notebook by Joshua Burman Thayer

 

Radishes, parsley, and peas are easy to seed into the empty spots in you veggie patch. (Photos by Carole Topalian)

 

Your summer crops are winding down and the first autumn rains have come to the Bay Area. That means it’s time to reload the gaps and edges of your patch with cool-season veggies. These three are easy to grow from seed.

Radishes are easy to sprout and quick to grow. Scratch a ½-inch deep and ½-inch wide line in your soil and sprinkle radish seeds 3-4 inches apart in that line. Cover lightly with soil, keep the area moist, and expect a nice harvest in as little as three weeks!

Plant peas now and they will be happy to climb the tomato cages you might otherwise have to store away. #growUP

Parsley is easy to grow in the gaps between other crops. Simply broadcast the seeds into remaining empty spaces after you have finished seeding the radishes and peas. The beauty of growing parsley is that you can cut and re-cut the same plants and they will keep producing.

 

Do you have fruit trees?

Plant these in your orchard understory to bolster edible diversity and provide autumn nectar for bees.

Mint (Mentha spp.) Helps dissuade rodents and provides winter blooms.

Rosemary (Salvia rosemarinus) Helps dissuade rodents and provides winter blooms.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Helps dissuade rodents and provides winter blooms.

 

Happy gardening!

Get expert help with your garden from Joshua Burman Thayer at 510.332.2809. Learn more about food forests and permaculture landscape design at nativesungardens.com and from Joshua Burman Thayer’s new book, Food Forests for First Timers.