|
If I had only one season in which to plant a vegetable garden, it would be fall. No doubt about it. And the reason is simple: vegetables harvested in the fall taste better. No doubt about that either. And just what will I be planting, you ask?
Well pretty much everything I plant every spring, with the exception of asparagus, and that’s a long list, one that I now present in alphabetical order. The asterisk indicates those that I stick in the ground as transplants. All others I direct sow in the garden from seed.
|
|
| Arugula |
Beets |
| *Broccoli |
*Brussels Sprouts |
| *Cabbage |
Carrots |
| *Cauliflower |
Collards |
| Kale |
Kohlrabi |
| Lettuce |
Mustard Greens |
| Onions |
Potatoes |
| Spinach |
Swiss Chard |
| Radishes |
Turnips |
|
|
|
|
Planting veggies in the fall is a tad tricky, because everything on my list is a cool-season crop, yet it’s anything but cool this time of year. And it’s not just the air temperature that presents a problem – it’s the soil temp as well. So here’s what you need to do to ensure a successful fall planting.
|
|
|
1. Start planting now, and make successive sowings into mid-September or beyond.
|
|
|
|
2. Plant seeds and transplants late in the day, so they aren’t subjected to the hot sun immediately after planting, or wait for an overcast day to plant. Either way, moisten the soil lightly before planting to cool it down a bit.
|
|
|
|
3. Plant seeds roughly twice as deep as you would in spring (check the seed packet for planting depth). It may take them longer to germinate, but they’ll be fine.
|
|
|
|
4. Water every morning and again every evening. Water just enough to keep the top inch or so of soil moist and cool. If you’ve got a drip irrigation system, good for you. Follow the same schedule.
|
|
|
|
5. Spread a light (say ¼ inch) layer of mulch over the planting area to conserve moisture. Grass clippings work great, as do hay, compost, or bagged products such as Espoma’s Raised Bed Planting Mix or FoxFarm’s Happy Frog or Coco Loco soil conditioners.
|
|
|
|
6. As seeds begin to germinate, water a little longer, but continue to water twice a day until plants are established and temperatures begin to cool off a bit, then water only as needed. And make sure you thin the space between plants according to the recommendations on the seed packet.
|
|
|
|
Do all that, and you should have plenty of tasty veggies to enjoy for weeks on end. And don’t worry too much about frosts. Everything on my list is not only frost tolerant (down to about 28 degrees or so), but their flavor actually improves when they get nipped by frost (the plants produce more sugars in response to colder temperatures). In fact, I’ve harvested carrots on Christmas morning many a year, and that’s about as good a present as I could hope for.
|
|
| Onions are one of the most cold hardy of all the vegetables, capable of surviving even the worst of our winters. |
|
|
|
The majority of fall veggies grow great from seed, and with seed you have more choices. For instance, if lettuce is your thing, we stock at least a dozen or more different varieties. That’s a good thing, especially if you know someone who eats salad for lunch every day (that would be my wife!).
|
|
|
There’s loads of helpful information on seed packets -- planting depth, spacing recommendations, days to harvest, etc. -- which is why you should save them. I actually hold onto mine until the following year so I’ll remember what I planted and which varieties I liked best.
|
|
| Spinach planted in fall will often overwinter in area gardens and bounce back in early spring. |
|
|
Planting from Transplants
|
|
|
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower are best grown from transplants. And all are pretty darn easy to grow. But be on the lookout for a small white butterfly and a grayish brown one hovering around your plants. Both lay their tiny eggs on the undersides of leaves which quickly hatch as small green caterpillars with voracious appetites. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), an all-natural bacterial spray or dust, provides excellent control.
|
|
|
Fertilize veggie transplants at planting time and again three weeks or so later. In addition to using my own sifted compost, I supplement everything with Espoma products such as Garden-tone, Plant-tone, and Chicken Manure.
|
|
|
It’s a good idea to add valuable organic matter to the soil before planting your fall garden, because it’s a good bet much of it was depleted during the summer growing season. There are plenty of bagged products available. Gently work them into the top three or four inches or soil, then level and smooth the soil surface prior to planting.
|
|
|
Photo by Darlene Roelofsen, CC BY 2.0
|
|
|
It’s easy and fun to grow all sorts of veggies in containers (especially with kids), and some seed varieties have been bred specifically for container planting. Just make sure you use a container that’s at least 12-inches in diameter and six-inches deep. And never use garden soil because it will harden like concrete. Instead, use a good potting mix.
|
|
| The risk of frost in Tulsa begins in late October and is pretty much a sure bet by the middle of November. |
|
|
|
Photo by Rod Raglin, CC BY 2.0
|
|
Coming Next Week -- Tree Talk
|
|
|
Our urban forests have been hit hard in the past few years by high winds, including tornadoes, as well as extreme heat and drought. What’s been lost needs to be replaced, and thankfully the tree-planting season is just around the corner, so I’ll be sharing tips on planting and a list of my favorite trees for Green Country.
|
|
Tip Of The Week
There’s still time to plant tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, even squash if you hurry. They can’t handle temps below the mid-40s, but it could be weeks before that happens. |
|
|
|
|
|
Just a note : I was an original viewer back in the 90’s when I was 18… just found the show again on HGTV and now have my grand baby stating with me , and we watch and episode before bed in the evenings … and it is the most adorable thing to hear this little 2 year old fan say “watch Gardner guy” as he learns about soil , trees , or mushrooms 🙂 🙂 glad to find your blog … looking at ordering seeds for our garden and will check out the shop . Thank you again !!
Audrey,
That’s such a sweet story! Thanks so much for writing, and give your grandbaby a big hug from me.
Enjoy your garden,
Paul