Did you know that Labor Day is considered the NFL’s unofficial kick-off? Over 94% of the time, the first NFL game of the season is the Thursday after Labor Day.
In September of 1882, the Unions of New York decided to hold a parade to celebrate their members. Over 20,000 workers showed up, sacrificing a day’s pay. By 1887, six other states made Labor Day an official State holiday.
On June 28, 1894, Grover Cleveland made the first Monday in September a federal holiday.
As for us? Over 40% of all hotdogs are consumed yearly between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Post Labor Day Garden Care – Plant Cool Season Veggies or Cover Crops?
So, what should you be doing after Labor Day in your garden? In areas of your garden that become vacant because summer crops and flowers are giving out, consider cool-season vegetables—like lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, peas, etc.
You can also consider planting cover crops. Cover crops are a great way to protect the soil from erosion and weeds and give nutrients back to the soil when you till them in early spring.
Typical cover crops are red clover, buckwheat, Hairy Vetch, Fava Beans, peas/oats, and ryegrass.
Plan for Next Year’s Garden
Now would also be an excellent time to take stock of this summer’s garden and consider what you might do differently next year. As for me, I think I‘ll plant an extra Sun Gold tomato. It tasted so good that I never had any left to take inside. I ate them all in the garden! And I grew a cucumber called Soyo Long. They were so long, they were twice as long as a regular cuke, so when I would pick ten, it would be like picking twenty of a regular cuke. Next year, I’ll still plant it, but maybe one or two fewer plants.
I need to think of fall flowers since some of the summer annuals look tired. Pansies, violas, and asters are just the tip of the iceberg. There are others to choose from, too.
Take Care of Your Garden Tools
Now would also be an excellent time to take stock of your gardening tools as you put them away. Be sure to clean them, though, and even give them a coating of linseed soil, particularly on wooden handles and the “joints” of tools like pruners.
Come to think of it, I guess after Labor Day, a gardener’s life still has a bit of “labor” in it.