All the Dirt on Gardening

  Sunlight-hours are becoming shorter with each passing week and now breezes are bringing down the first of fall’s yellowing leaves.   August is the right time to prepare for a fall vegetable garden that you can harvest for months. On average, August has 14-hours of daylight. June has 15, September has 12 and October has only 11 or 10 (www.timeanddate.com). The reduction of sunlight hours helps lower the temperature of the soil so seeds can germinate and plants can thrive. A few examples of the soil temperatures fall-planted seeds prefer for germination: Snap bean 75-80, Beet 75, Cabbage family including chard and kale 68 to 75, Lettuce 65-70, Peas 65-70, Spinach 70, Winter Squash 75-80. When soil temperatures are above those numbers, seeds remain heat-dormant.   Some seeds will sprout when it is too hot or too cold but the percentage will be low (See http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html ). The optimal temperature for seed germination is often provide...