How About A Fall Vegetable Garden?

Many gardeners are already thinking about clearing their vegetable garden, cleaning their garden tools, and settling in for a long winter’s nap.  Not so fast!  You still have time to plant a fall vegetable garden in time for another harvest!

In fact, sometimes the same spring vegetables will have a sweeter and milder taste when planted and harvested in the fall.  Maybe even a brand new taste than what you expected. 

Vegetables To Consider

Just like your spring planting decisions, think about your available space and what you like to eat when deciding what to plant in your fall garden.  Even those vegetables which thrive in the heat (like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers) will produce until frost hits which can be pretty late in southern climates.  However, it may be too late for other varieties like cucumbers and summer squash unless the second crop was planted in mid-summer.

There are some really hardy, tough vegetables that may grow in temperatures as low as 20 degrees but others will suffer in light frosts.  Even if the tops of root and tuber plants are killed by a freeze, the edible part can be saved if you have used a good mulch covering.

There are a couple of other things you need to know when choosing what to plant:

1.  What is the average date of the first hard frost in your area?  Knowing that date range will help you determine the best time to plant your fall garden and provide you with a guide for your planting deadline – the latest date you can safely plant and expect a good harvest.  (The Farmer’s Almanac will give you a good idea the expected first freeze and it certainly has a good track record!) 

 

2. How long will it take your plants to mature?  Check the label on the seed packets and look for those with the fewest days to maturity.

Late Maturing Crops (about 90 days to maturity)

• Leaf crops:  brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, fava bean
• Root crops:  beets, carrots, parsnip, rutabaga, globe onions

Mid-Season Crops (about 60 days to maturity)

• Root crops:  early carrots, leek, turnip, kohlrabi
• Leaf crops:  early cabbage, winter cauliflower, collards, perennial herbs

Early Maturing Crops (about 30 days to maturity)

• Root crops:  chives, bunching onions, radishes
• Leaf crops:  broccoli, cover crops, leaf lettuces, mustard, spinach 

Preparing The Soil

Just like in early spring, the soil needs to be prepared and ready for fall planting to insure a healthy crop and a strong harvest.

• Make sure you remove any leftover spring or summer crops and weeds. They can spread bacteria and disease in the garden if left too long.
• Spreading a couple inches of mulch or compost will replace nutrients that may have been used during the first planting.  However, if you heavily fertilized your first crop you may not need as much for this round.
• Till or turnover the top layer of soil, wet it down and let it set for 12 – 24 hours. Now you’re ready to start planting again!

Extend The Season Even Longer

And with a little extra effort you can extend your growing season even longer.  Sometimes taking advantage of a windbreak or south-facing wall can increase daytime temperatures 10 degrees in your garden area – especially if partially covered.  

Using cloches to cover tender plants can certainly build daytime warmth and temperatures around your plants but a little bit can also go a long way.  On bright, sunny fall or winter days you will need to provide manual ventilation so your plants don’t cook inside the covering!

A south-facing cold frame (built with any size window frame) is a more permanent structure that can certainly extend the fall and winter growing season.  Cold frames provide additional protection from strong wind and elevate both day and nighttime temperatures.  In addition to extending the fall season, using a cold frame to house early spring plantings can help you get a head start on the spring season as well.

And finally, there are many, many choices of greenhouses to fit your space, your gardening needs, and your budget.

So don’t be afraid of fall gardening!  With a bit of late season effort, you can enjoy your vegetable garden (and it’s bounty) for a little longer!