Get ready for fall planting

Labor Day is sneaking up on us, the official end of summer. But if you’re a dedicated gardener, it’s not yet time to but the garden to bed.

You might be enjoying the bountiful harvest of vegetables that you’ve cultivated this summer, but you can also plant additional veggies for picking in the fall. Lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, and collard can be planted in August. Root crops, like beets, turnips, and carrots will do well when planted in August or even into early September, along with cucumbers, beans, and summer squash.

Asters and chrysanthemums add a splash of color in the fall. Replace your dead annuals with these beauties. While you’re in the garden, add some spring-blooming bulbs, like tulips and daffodils. And don’t forget to dig and divide your perennials. Spread them out a bit so they can take root before the ground freezes. They’ll be better prepared to survive the Kansas winter and re-emerge in the spring.

You can expect the first frost in the Kansas City region to hit around the middle of October, so plan accordingly for your fall planting. Weeds aren’t as prevalent this late in the season, so you don’t have to invest as much time maintaining your new plants. You’re also not getting the intense sun that June and July brought to your garden, so new plants aren’t subjected to the heat that earlier plants endured.

There’s plenty of time left to enjoy a fall garden!