How to Plan for Cold-season Crops
2022-07-19
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1If you live in areas of temperate climate and enjoy homegrown vegetables, it is time to start planting now.
2A temperate climate area is a part of Earth that lies between 40 to 60 degrees north or south of the Equator.
3Gardening expert Jessica Damiano writes for the Associated Press.
4She says if you live in a temperate area, start planting cool weather crops now and you will enjoy the fruits of your labor by November.
5The process for starting seeds and planting starter plants is the same year-round.
6But when planting crops for autumn in areas that experience frosts and freezes, timing needs to be exact.
7If you plant cool weather crops too early, they might not grow well under the summer sun.
8If you are too late, the cold weather could kill them before they are fully grown.
9To get it right, you will need to know the average date of the first frost in your area.
10That is the time when the ground will harden and ice will form overnight.
11Next, count backward from your first frost date by the number of days the individual crops will be fully grown.
12And use that target date as a starting point.
13There are some exceptions.
14In the southernmost temperate areas, for example, you can still plant summer vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash and beans in August and September.
15 But cool-weather crops should wait until October or November.
16Greens like arugula, Asian greens, collards, kale, lettuces, mustard greens, spinach and Swiss chard - and root crops like beets, radishes and parsnips - grow well in the cool temperatures and limited daylight of the autumn season.
17Their seeds can be put directly into the garden or outdoor containers in most areas.
18But it is better to start these seeds indoors with cooler temperatures over hot summer weather.
19Work with the soil before seeding or transplanting.
20Add generous amounts of organic matter like compost or aged manure to garden soil.
21Mix in a slow-release fertilizer also.
22If you are planting root crops, loosen the soil 25 to 30 centimeters deep to ease their growth downward.
23Plant the seeds at the depth of about twice their width.
24Space them out to avoid overcrowding.
25Keep the soil wet but be careful to avoid washing away seeds.
26And, firmly but gently pack the soil into place.
27If seeds are tiny, you can spread them over the soil and then remove extra growths to avoid crowding out the plants.
28After the seeds develop, apply mulch to retain water in the soil to keep the temperature even.
29This can also block undesirable plants called weeds from taking over the area.
30Pull up any weeds that you find as they take water and nutrients that your crop needs.
31Keep plants well-watered during the remaining summer months to protect them from heat damage.
32As cold weather arrives, do not worry that your crops will die under a frost.
33Crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi are improved by a light frost.
34A light frost is an overnight temperature of 0 degrees Celsius.
35Artichokes, arugula, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsnips, radicchio, Swiss chard and many Asian greens can survive a hard frost -- at minus 2 degrees Celsius -- for a limited time.
36And you can always protect crops from overnight frost by covering them with cloth material and plastics.
37But remember to remove all coverings in the morning.
38Your plants need the day's sunlight to grow into delicious and healthful food!
39I'm Caty Weaver.
1If you live in areas of temperate climate and enjoy homegrown vegetables, it is time to start planting now. 2A temperate climate area is a part of Earth that lies between 40 to 60 degrees north or south of the Equator. 3Gardening expert Jessica Damiano writes for the Associated Press. She says if you live in a temperate area, start planting cool weather crops now and you will enjoy the fruits of your labor by November. 4The process for starting seeds and planting starter plants is the same year-round. But when planting crops for autumn in areas that experience frosts and freezes, timing needs to be exact. If you plant cool weather crops too early, they might not grow well under the summer sun. If you are too late, the cold weather could kill them before they are fully grown. 5To get it right, you will need to know the average date of the first frost in your area. That is the time when the ground will harden and ice will form overnight. 6Next, count backward from your first frost date by the number of days the individual crops will be fully grown. And use that target date as a starting point. 7There are some exceptions. In the southernmost temperate areas, for example, you can still plant summer vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash and beans in August and September. But cool-weather crops should wait until October or November. 8Crops for cool weather 9Greens like arugula, Asian greens, collards, kale, lettuces, mustard greens, spinach and Swiss chard - and root crops like beets, radishes and parsnips - grow well in the cool temperatures and limited daylight of the autumn season. 10Their seeds can be put directly into the garden or outdoor containers in most areas. But it is better to start these seeds indoors with cooler temperatures over hot summer weather. 11Work with the soil before seeding or transplanting. Add generous amounts of organic matter like compost or aged manure to garden soil. Mix in a slow-release fertilizer also. If you are planting root crops, loosen the soil 25 to 30 centimeters deep to ease their growth downward. 12Plant the seeds at the depth of about twice their width. Space them out to avoid overcrowding. Keep the soil wet but be careful to avoid washing away seeds. And, firmly but gently pack the soil into place. If seeds are tiny, you can spread them over the soil and then remove extra growths to avoid crowding out the plants. 13After the seeds develop, apply mulch to retain water in the soil to keep the temperature even. This can also block undesirable plants called weeds from taking over the area. Pull up any weeds that you find as they take water and nutrients that your crop needs. Keep plants well-watered during the remaining summer months to protect them from heat damage. 14Crops that can survive a frost 15As cold weather arrives, do not worry that your crops will die under a frost. 16Crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi are improved by a light frost. A light frost is an overnight temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. 17Artichokes, arugula, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsnips, radicchio, Swiss chard and many Asian greens can survive a hard frost -- at minus 2 degrees Celsius -- for a limited time. 18And you can always protect crops from overnight frost by covering them with cloth material and plastics. But remember to remove all coverings in the morning. Your plants need the day's sunlight to grow into delicious and healthful food! 19I'm Caty Weaver. 20Jessica Damiano reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. 21____________________________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23generous - adj. providing more than the amount that is needed 24compost - n. a decayed mixture of leaves and grass that is used to improve the soil 25manure - n. solid waste from animal that is used to make the soil better for growing plants 26mulch - n. material such as leaves or small pieces of wood that is spread over ground to protect plants and help them grow