August offers opportunities to sow seeds for crops that will carry our gardeners into autumn. There will be about 60 days before the first frost date. Check out the video links for crops that will mature before October 15th. Because frost dates are not set in stone, you may even have a longer period. Last year, I harvested some warm-weather crops after November 1, so you never know. Just know there is ample time to continue your 2025 gardening journey...

I am elated to offer this episode after beginning my gardening adventure thinking that everything had to be sown before July 1st. There are plenty of crops that you can sow for a fall harvest. The main things to remember is that they should mature in the next 60 days of so and that they can endure cooling late summer and early autumn temperatures, especially at night.

Here are some links for you to check out.

From one of my favorite YouTube channels, the Gardening Channel, here is a video with 20 potential crops you may want to consider sowing in August.

I want you to think outside the box and have fun gardening. I have experimented with multiple varieties of crops such as kale, collards (my favorite), okra, beans, peas, and others from the African Diaspora. So, I am happy to share this video from a plant person in Brooklyn that grows cotton! Also, check out this offering.

I love our plant kin, without them, life as we know it on Mother Earth would not exist. Check out some videos regarding plant research:

The Sleepy Scientist: How Plants Make Life Possible

New Scientific Discoveries That Change Everything About Plants

How Plants Think...

I always thought bolting was something you wanted to avoid except perhaps if you wanted to collect seeds. But the Benefits of Bolting?

Happy August, look out for the September episode dropping soon!

Contact: orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no medical or health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.

Here is a short 15-minute episode with reminders about what to pay attention to in our gardens in July.

July has arrived and gardening season is in full swing. There are approximately 105 days left in the typical growing season. Of course, if you take some steps to extend the season you may be able to grow crops such as collard greens, kale, etc. in early winter.

Here are some crops you may want to consider growing in July that will provide a yield before the frost returns. Stony Acres Gardening and The Gardening Channel offer options for growing in the USDA Hardiness Zones 5, 6, and 7 before the first frost date. Zone 5 may have a shorter window and zone 7 a longer window but we are looking at a range between 80 to 110 days, with climate change being the wild card.

It does not hurt to reiterate the importance of water for your garden. We often discuss watering and the proper technique, but this video happens to be the best I have ever seen on the topic. Please watch it.

You may want to take a deeper dive into research, but here's a reminder that fertilizing your garden, especially a container or grow bag garden, is essential. Proper watering and fertilization are necessary for maintaining and producing healthy plants. Healthy plants are a deterrent for pest problems as pests are nature's way of dealing with weak and dying plants.

I am closely watching the supply chain issues we may experience nationally as farm workers are not showing up to harvest and prepare produce for distribution to market. Stay tuned for more on that coming up but it is also a reason to vastly and quickly increase home and community gardens as well as urban and peri-urban farms. How we do that is something we need to discuss as vulnerable communities. The recent Congressional action on taxes, along with the attacks on Medicaid, will find millions of people uninsured and unable to access food. Alas, here is another reason to invest in and engage in practices to expand our gardening sector. The need for a care and self-care economy is growing rapidly.

Best herbs for container gardening:

Momzone

Medicinal Backyard

Garden Answer

Please, please remember we do not offer any medical advice, so please consult with your primary care physician and/or the health care team of your choice before proceeding with any herbal or personal health care journey...

I am going to stop here until the next episode when I will update you on the state of the food supply chain...

Produced by Orrin Williams orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no medical or health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.

Tune in for some general observations about June gardening and seasonal shopping. Also, remember to get some Vitamin N—the N stands for nature. Get outside, get moving, and eat real, whole seasonal fruits and vegetables as the main part of your diet.

The summer solstice is almost here in the northern hemisphere, and it is time for one of my favorite foods- watermelon. Make sure you know how to select a great melon.

This summer, seasonal produce will be abundant in addition to watermelon. See what to expect in Illinois.

See this link for June gardening tips in our June 2023 Food Literacy podcast episode. Check out the Chicago Grows Food website, especially for information about grow bag container gardening.

Register here for the first Narratives and Nourishment project's first event on June 28th at Burst Into Books in the Roseland community area. Stay tuned for upcoming Narratives and Nourishment events, including the Back to School event at Da Book Joint, another vital partner on the project. Thank you to Jurema Gorham of Burst Into Books and Courtney Woods of Da Book Joint for their awesome support!

Contact: orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.