LibraryAware

September 2023

LTPL Grows Newsletter

September

The golden-rod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

From dewy lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter

With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer.

Excerpts from the poem “September”
by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

Fall Gardening with LTPL's Seed Library

Fall is an often overlooked gardening season, but for many vegetables it is the BEST time of year! However, as we round the corner into September, the window is closing for planting seeds that will still bring a harvest before seriously cold weather hits. Your best bets at this point in the season are quick-growing and hardy leafy crops like leaf lettuce, spinach, chard, mustard, and kale. It is probably too late for larger root crops like carrots, beets, and daikon radish to achieve a decent size for eating, but small radishes and turnips should also have time to form nice, crispy roots in the cool weather. Cilantro defies cold weather like a champ!

Cover your fall sown plants if frost threatens. Even though they can withstand a early frost, they will probably stop growing for the season if they get hit too hard. Floating row cover, old sheets, and lighter drop-cloths will work if you don't have a cold frame or hoop structure.

Fall is also a great time to plant a cover crop when you have empty spots after harvesting. Cover drops provide much needed organic matter to the soil when they are knocked down or dug in, plus they help keep your precious topsoil from eroding or blowing away over the winter. Make sure you have cover crops worked into the soil at least six weeks before planting time in the spring so they have time to break down.

Seeds available in the LTPL Seed Library that are suitable for sowing in fall are listed below:

Cilantro
Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’ ‘Giant Nobel’ ‘Butterflay’
Kale ‘Dwarf Siberian’ ‘Lancinato’ ‘Red Russian’
Chard ‘Italian Silver Leaf’ ‘Baby Leaf’ ‘Pot of Gold’
Broccoli Raab ‘Super Rapini’
Mesclun Mix
Lettuce ‘Winter Mix’ ‘Gourmet Mix’ ‘Prizehead’ ‘Freckles’ romaine ‘Speckled Bibb’
Mustard ‘Ruby Streaks’ ‘Tatsoi’ ’Carolina Broadleaf’ ‘Tokyo Bekana’

Turnips ‘Shogoin’ ‘White Egg’ ‘Snowball’
Radish ‘White Icicle’ ‘Cherry Belle’ ‘French Breakfast’ ‘Champion’ ‘Pink Beauty’ ‘White Globe’ ‘Early Scarlet Globe’

Fall Cover Crop Mix - hardy mix of plants that will either winter kill late or overwinter

Winter Rye Cover Crop - overwinters, dig in early spring when 3-6 inches high.
Visit the LTPL Seed Library soon and get your seeds for a fabulous Fall Garden! You only have to register the first time you use the seed library. Be sure to write down how many packets you take on the clipboard before you go.

Upcoming LTPL Grows Programs

Putting Your Garden to Bed

In-Person Monday, September 18, 2023
at 6:30 pm

It's time to think Spring! Actions you take in the fall will impact your spring garden in many ways. Join us to learn about soil amendments, mulching, cover crops, fall planted crops, weed control, and extending your fall garden production into the winter months. We will also discuss starting a new garden area that will be ready to plant in the spring.

Herb of the Month: Fennel

The September Herb of the Month is Fennel.

Each month, we feature a different herb or spice and provide a take-home kit that contains information about the herb, a sample and/or seed packet, instructions for use and recipes. This month you will receive a kit with the growing instructions and properties of fennel, a recipe, and a sample bag of organic fennel seed suitable for tea, cooking, or planting. Seeds for bulb fennel will be available in the seed library in 2024 for spring planting. Kits will be made available in the curbside pick-up area beginning Tuesday, September 5, 2023. To receive your kit, sign up here:

The Herb of the Month will be announced every month in the LTPL Grows newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, click here.

Seed Library News

It's September!
Visit LTPL's freshly re-stocked seed library for a great selection of greens and cover crops. You still have time to plant fast-growing crops for delicious fall eating!

The 2023 National Heirloom Exposition will take place September 12-14 in Ventura, California. Back for the first time since 2019, it will feature speakers, exhibition hall, vendors, and the country's largest 3-day Seed Swap!

One Seed, One State: This year the MI Seed Library Network has chosen 'Grand Rapids' lettuce as the seed that will be distributed through seed libraries all over Michigan! Visit LTPL for your One Seed, One State lettuce seeds to plant this fall.

The mission of the seed library is to promote gardening and encourage sustainability through seed saving. The seeds are available at no cost to you. Although it is not required, we hope that you will attempt to save seeds from your crops and return them to the seed library to help keep it self-sustaining. First time users of the Seed Library need to register. You may do so with this form or in-person at the seed library. Once you have registered, you log your initials and number of packets taken on the clipboard. The clipboard and instructions are on top of the Seed Library cabinet.

Gardening handouts are available at the Seed Library and also on the LTPL Grows Webpage, along with informative videos!

September Garden Calendar

In September:

Harvest your vegetables as they mature, preserving the surplus. Harvest and dry herbs while they are at their peak.
Cure your harvested winter squash, gourds, and pumpkins in a dry, frost free spot so they develop a strong rind to keep them in good condition during storage.
Move your cured onions and garlic to cold, dark storage to prevent them from premature sprouting.
Sow seeds outdoors for cool-weather fall vegetable crops (see article above)
Take notes about your garden while it is still fresh in your mind. What did well, what didn't, and plans for next year.
Remove spent crops, clean the area, and add compost to rejuvenate the soil for the next crop. Plant a cover crop if you are done gardening in that spot for this year.
Start acclimating houseplants that have been summering outdoors to indoor life. This is best done before the heat goes on so they make the adjustment before the dry winter air commences. Check the plants and soil for bugs and yes, toads.
Continue to collect seed from your non-hybrid tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, and squash as they fully ripen on the plant or vine. Make sure correct seed-saving practices have been followed to keep them pure.
Information and online resources for starting and saving seed can be found on the LTPL website.
Find additional resources for seed saving here:

New Gardening Books at LTPL

The Compost Coach: Make compost, build soil, and grow a regenerative garden - wherever you live! by Kate Flood

Known as "Compostable Kate," the author's mission is to teach gardeners about creating healthy soil wherever you live and that composting need not be smelly, ugly, or time-consuming.

A Garden's Purpose: Cultivating Our Connection with the Natural World by Felix De Rosen
Drawing inspiration from all types of gardens from all over the world, each chapter is devoted to a specific garden concept or element, reimagining what gardens are and can be.

Why We Need to be Wild: One Woman's Quest for Ancient Human Answers to 21st Century Problems by Jessica Carew Kraft
The personal journey of a wife and mother working in a high-tech field who realizes her family wasn't thriving in their urban environment. She learns the art of "re-wilding' and living closer to the land.

Michigan Gardener Magazine

Michigan Gardener Magazine

Michigan Gardener Magazine will only be published once in May 2023. While all copies for this year have been distributed, you can visit the Michigan Gardener website for all of their newsletters and blog posts, and browse through digital back issues of the print magazine.

Four Seasons Garden Club News

Coming Events
September Meeting: The September meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 5, at 6:30 pm at a member's residence. Call 734-761-8912 for directions. Seating is limited, so bring lawn chairs if possible.
The Four Seasons Garden Club of South Lyon meets at the Center for Active Adults at the South Lyon High School on the 1st Tuesday of each month throughout the school year. Meetings and tours are held at member's homes during the summer months. Click Here for membership information.

Additional Resources (and they're free!)