What to plant in July and August

July in the garden is time to think about planting your fall crops!

Plant in July
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli (seedlings)
Brussels sprouts (seedlings)
Cabbage (seedlings)
Carrots (always seeds)- 1st 2 weeks of July
Cauliflower- long season varieties (seedlings)
Collards
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsnips (always seeds)
Peas
Potato tubers (order disease free ones on-line)- 1st 2 weeks
Radish
Rutabega (seeds)
Swiss Chard
Turnips (seeds)
Zucchini- 1st two weeks of July

Plant in August
Bok Choy
Fava Beans
Cabbage (seedlings)
Cauliflower- long season varieties (seedlings)
Napa Cabbage
Collards
Lettuce
Kale
Mustard Greens
Parsnips (always seeds)- 1st 2 weeks of August
Peas
Radish
Rutabega
Spinach- last 2 weeks of August
Swiss Chard
Turnips (seeds)

Dealing with Birds in the Gardens

I've had a few questions about keeping birds from eating berries and leaves in the gardens.

First: DO NOT use 'bird netting' sold in many garden centers. It is flimsy and the birds get caught in it and die.

Here are a few ideas:

• mylar tape tied to your trellis so it blows in the wind

 http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Gone-MMFT050-Flash-tape/dp/B001H1HNPQ/ref=pd_sim_lg_6

• paint golf balls red and put them in the strawberry plants- then when the birds peck them, they find them rather unpalatable and learn not to keep trying!

• make a small box or hoop out of chicken wire, window screening, very sturdy plastic mesh (usually sold as fencing) or "hardware cloth"- the same kind of wire mesh that is on the bottom of your box to keep the gophers out.

http://happyfarming.com/2009/07/06/strawberry-cage/

Hardware cloth: 5'x24" roll at Ace @ Clement & 11th: $11 (the 1/2" mesh will be fine) or in bulk at Crown Hardware at 3615 Balboa: $2.49/ft for 3' or 4' wide rolls

Plastic netting that is OK to use:

Blue Hawk 48-in x 50-ft Black Plastic/Polyresin Perimeter Fence

Item #: 157766 |  Model #: 419594 at Lowe's

 http://www.lowes.com/pd_157766-13113-419594_4294642673__?productId=3457518&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FotherTabURL%3D%252Fnp_Howto%252BProject_0__s%253FgoToProdList%253Dtrue%2526Ntt%253Dorbital%252Bsaw%26Ns%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

• something like this might work as well, but I haven't tried it:

http://www.amazon.com/Mesh-food-nets-Set-White/dp/B005ELCAPS/ref=pd_sim_lg_6

• protect individual or clumps of berries by using jars or strawberry baskets

• and to protect seedlings, make an inexpensive version of a cloche: http://20minutegarden.com/2008/03/03/diy-garden-cloches/

Whatever you use, please be sure that they don't blow away, and that you store them in your apartment when you are done, not in the garden.