– Garth Ruff, OSU Extension, Henry County
Photo: Terese Houle
While I am not much of a gardener, I really enjoy this time of the year with all of the fresh local produce and there is a growing selection at the farmers markets. If you have a garden and want more vegetables, it can be as easy as picking more often. Vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers and snap beans will continue to produce if they are harvested at peak ripeness and not left to over mature. If the vegetables are left on, plant hormones are produced that slow down the production of new blossoms. The plant will direct its energy to producing seeds inside the mature vegetable. Plants such as zucchini, summer squash and snap beans can be harvested when young and tender and can be picked every couple days for a delicious dish!
Over the past couple of months, I have written about maximizing plant rotation and yield in the garden and there is still time to do some planting. Over the years, I really started to like Brussel sprouts and there is still time to get them planted. In addition, beans, peas, carrots, cabbage, and spinach can still be planted for a fall crop. If you are going to plant spinach, germination will be improved if you refrigerate them for one or two days before sowing.