I don’t know about you, but I thought those brutal days of heat weren’t EVER going to end. I know of a woman who, while is as brilliant and pleasant and funny as any human should be allowed to be, LOVES the heat; the more sweltering the better. I think she might be certifiable. Of course, most people think I’m certifiable, but that’s a story for another time…
The cooler days of fall lend themselves to the cooler weather veggies and some truly spectacular fall blooming perennials. And let’s not forget the star of the fall garden – the chrysanthemum!
Fall gardening is the way to have fresh veggies right into winter. Many fall gardens are carried over from the summer gardens. Tomato plants, okra, pepper and eggplant, if cared for during the summer, continue to produce until cold slows them down and frost kills them.
To keep these veggies producing, control insects and diseases, keep the plants watered and fertilized, and don’t let the garden grow up in grass and weeds. A good fall garden, however, is not just keeping the summer garden alive, it means planting new veggies to produce in fall and early winter.
Plan the fall garden at the same time you plan the spring and summer garden. Include your seed needs for fall when ordering seeds for the spring and summer garden. It helps to have the seeds on hand so you can plant them right when it’s time.
Many cool-weather veggies normally planted in the spring grow and produce better in the fall since they mature as the weather cools. When wet weather causes a delay in planting early spring veggies (past a time when they can be expected to mature before hot weather destroys them), a fall garden provides a second opportunity. Chinese cabbage (very sensitive to heat) and rutabagas (require a long period of cool weather) are two cool weather veggies recommended for planting ONLY in the fall.
Warm-season veggies planted in midsummer for fall harvest require additional time to mature as the weather cools in September and October. Choose planting dates in midsummer that allow these veggies to mature before frost.
Suggested veggies for our zone in the Rogue Valley for fall are: bush beans and snap beans, kohlrabi, beets, lettuces of all kinds, broccoli, mustard, cabbage, onions, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, rutabagas, chard, spinach, Chinese cabbage and turnips.
The hot, dry weather in July, August and September is hard on germinating seeds and young seedlings, Germination and seedling survival is improved if you use one of these methods:
Water a day or two before planting so seeds are planted in moist soil. Watering after planting can cause the soil surface to pack and crust.
Plant seeds in moist soil and cover with moistened, non-crusting materials: a mix of peat moss and vermiculite or composted sawdust and sand. Keep the surface moist during germination and seedling establishment.
Plant three to five seeds of the small-seeded veggies like broccoli and cabbage at the recommended final plant spacing in the garden row. Once the seedlings are established, thin the seedlings to one plant at each location.
Transplants – Start vegetable transplants for the fall garden in individual containers, such as peat pots, small clay or plastic pots or peat pellets. Setting out plants without disturbing the root systems reduces transplant shock.
Protect young plants from the sun for a few days. You can use bare-root transplants from thinning the seedling row, but be prepared to provide water and shade until they become established.
The fall garden is open to attach by insects and diseases just as the summer garden is. In some cases, the insect problems are worse. Worms (cabbage loopers and imported cabbage moths) are serious problems on fall cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and collards. Control these leaf-eating worms with one of the biological sprays. Squash bugs are troublesome on fall squash and pumpkins.
Fall veggies need fertilizer just as much as spring and summer ones. Don’t count on the fertilizer applied in the spring to supply the fertilizer needs of veggies planted in late summer or fall. Fertilize before planting and side dress as needed. Remember, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants.
As the danger of frost approaches, pay close attention to weather prediction. Tender plants often can be protected from an early frost and continue to produce for several weeks. When a killing frost is inevitable, harvest tender veggies.
Green tomatoes that are turning white just before turning pink will ripen if stored in a cool place. Pick these tomatoes, wrap them in paper and use them as they ripen.
Don’t abandon your garden when freezing temperatures kill the plants. Clean up the debris, store stakes and tomato cages and poles. Take a soil test. Row up part of the garden to be ready for planting early spring potatoes and peas.
The cooler days of fall lend themselves to the cooler weather veggies and some truly spectacular fall blooming perennials. And let’s not forget the star of the fall garden – the chrysanthemum!
Fall gardening is the way to have fresh veggies right into winter. Many fall gardens are carried over from the summer gardens. Tomato plants, okra, pepper and eggplant, if cared for during the summer, continue to produce until cold slows them down and frost kills them.
To keep these veggies producing, control insects and diseases, keep the plants watered and fertilized, and don’t let the garden grow up in grass and weeds. A good fall garden, however, is not just keeping the summer garden alive, it means planting new veggies to produce in fall and early winter.
Plan the fall garden at the same time you plan the spring and summer garden. Include your seed needs for fall when ordering seeds for the spring and summer garden. It helps to have the seeds on hand so you can plant them right when it’s time.
Many cool-weather veggies normally planted in the spring grow and produce better in the fall since they mature as the weather cools. When wet weather causes a delay in planting early spring veggies (past a time when they can be expected to mature before hot weather destroys them), a fall garden provides a second opportunity. Chinese cabbage (very sensitive to heat) and rutabagas (require a long period of cool weather) are two cool weather veggies recommended for planting ONLY in the fall.
Warm-season veggies planted in midsummer for fall harvest require additional time to mature as the weather cools in September and October. Choose planting dates in midsummer that allow these veggies to mature before frost.
Suggested veggies for our zone in the Rogue Valley for fall are: bush beans and snap beans, kohlrabi, beets, lettuces of all kinds, broccoli, mustard, cabbage, onions, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, rutabagas, chard, spinach, Chinese cabbage and turnips.
The hot, dry weather in July, August and September is hard on germinating seeds and young seedlings, Germination and seedling survival is improved if you use one of these methods:
Water a day or two before planting so seeds are planted in moist soil. Watering after planting can cause the soil surface to pack and crust.
Plant seeds in moist soil and cover with moistened, non-crusting materials: a mix of peat moss and vermiculite or composted sawdust and sand. Keep the surface moist during germination and seedling establishment.
Plant three to five seeds of the small-seeded veggies like broccoli and cabbage at the recommended final plant spacing in the garden row. Once the seedlings are established, thin the seedlings to one plant at each location.
Transplants – Start vegetable transplants for the fall garden in individual containers, such as peat pots, small clay or plastic pots or peat pellets. Setting out plants without disturbing the root systems reduces transplant shock.
Protect young plants from the sun for a few days. You can use bare-root transplants from thinning the seedling row, but be prepared to provide water and shade until they become established.
The fall garden is open to attach by insects and diseases just as the summer garden is. In some cases, the insect problems are worse. Worms (cabbage loopers and imported cabbage moths) are serious problems on fall cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and collards. Control these leaf-eating worms with one of the biological sprays. Squash bugs are troublesome on fall squash and pumpkins.
Fall veggies need fertilizer just as much as spring and summer ones. Don’t count on the fertilizer applied in the spring to supply the fertilizer needs of veggies planted in late summer or fall. Fertilize before planting and side dress as needed. Remember, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants.
As the danger of frost approaches, pay close attention to weather prediction. Tender plants often can be protected from an early frost and continue to produce for several weeks. When a killing frost is inevitable, harvest tender veggies.
Green tomatoes that are turning white just before turning pink will ripen if stored in a cool place. Pick these tomatoes, wrap them in paper and use them as they ripen.
Don’t abandon your garden when freezing temperatures kill the plants. Clean up the debris, store stakes and tomato cages and poles. Take a soil test. Row up part of the garden to be ready for planting early spring potatoes and peas.
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