Getting the Most from Your Fall Garden
Fall is an excellent extension of the garden season and a vital
period for intensive gardening methods. Many cool-season and some warm-season
vegetables attain their peak quality when grown and harvested as late crops.
When planning for the fall garden, gardeners must consider the space needed,
soil preparation, rotations and varieties desired. Seeds that were purchased
for spring planting can be used for the fall garden provided they were stored
in a cool location and kept dry.
The challenge with fall vegetable production is to seed or
transplant a crop when the weather is hot and harvest as temperatures cool.
When seeding in late summer for a fall crop, moisture is often an issue. Water
immediately after seeding or transplanting. Plant the seeds slightly deeper
than you would normally plant them in spring to improve moisture availability
for germination and root growth.
Many warm-season vegetables can be grown successfully in late
summer and fall, including fall tomatoes, snap beans and summer and winter
squash. Several heat-tolerant tomato varieties can be transplanted in July for
a fall crop. Remember that most warm- season vegetables are tender and must be
harvested before frost. Any tomatoes left on the vine when frost is predicted
can be harvested green for green tomatoes, or, if they have started to turn,
can be stored in a paper bag or wrapped in newsprint to ripen inside at 70
degrees Fahrenheit. Snap beans can be seeded in early to mid-August in most
areas of Missouri. Bush beans grow best at temperatures from 75 to 85 degrees
but will drop flowers if temperatures exceed 90. They mature in approximately
60 days and make an excellent fall crop.
Pumpkins and winter squash are traditional warm-season fall
crops that are often seeded or transplanted in mid-June through July for fall
harvest. The plant is sensitive to cool temperatures, but the fruit is often
harvested after the first frost. Summer squash can also be established in
mid-July through August in certain areas of Missouri by direct seeding or
transplants. The crop reaches maturity in 40 to 50 days.
Cool-season vegetables will thrive in the cooler nights of late
summer and fall and are not as sensitive to frost. Consider planting hardy cole
crops such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and Chinese
cabbage in early to mid-August for fall harvest. Establish late-season cole
crops from transplants (four to six weeks old); it is difficult to get uniform
seed germination and seedling emergence in the high soil temperatures common in
late summer. Transplanting in late afternoon or early evening will reduce
transplant shock. Also, you can increase plant spacing to accelerate growth.
Greens (collards, kale, mustards and turnips) are also well
adapted for fall harvest. These crops can be seeded through August and
harvested approximately 50 days from seeding. Turnips can be planted to produce
greens or roots, depending on the variety. Spinach is also a cool-season crop
that grows well in the fall, because it is sensitive to high temperatures that
can cause it to develop a yellow color and bolt.
Beets
can be seeded for fall production from late July to mid-August. It is important
to thin beets to about 2 inches between plants, which will allow the beets to
grow large enough for harvest.
Fall
Garden Planting Schedule
12 to 14 weeks
before your first killing frost
• Direct-sow last plantings of fast-maturing,
warm-season vegetables such as snap beans, cucumbers, and summer squash. Also
sow parsnips and rutabagas, and begin planting cilantro, lettuce, and radishes.
• Start cabbage family seedlings indoors, and set out
the seedlings as promptly as possible.
• In climates with long autumns, plant celery, bulb
fennel, and parsley in the fall.
10 to 12 weeks
before your first killing frost
• Set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and cauliflower seedlings, along with celery, bulb
fennel and parsley.
• Direct-sow beets, carrots, collards, leeks and
scallions, along with more lettuce and radishes.
8 to 10 weeks
before your first killing frost
• Direct-sow arugula, Chinese cabbage, lettuce,
turnips, spinach, mustard, mâche
• Sow more lettuce and radishes.
6 to 8 weeks
before first killing frost
• Make a final sowing of spinach.
• Make a final sowing of lettuce beneath a protective
tunnel or frame.
Helpful Tips:
1. Starting Seeds
The important thing is to get the plants up and growing in time to catch
the last waves of summer heat.
2. Think Soil First Your fall garden provides an opportunity to
manage soil fertility, and even control weeds. You can also use vigorous leafy greens to “mop
up” excess nitrogen left behind by spring crops.
3. Try New Crops Several of the best crops for your fall garden
may not only be new to your garden, but new to your kitchen, too. Set aside
small spaces to experiment with nutty arugula, crunchy Chinese cabbage, and
super-cold-hardy mâche (corn salad).
4.
Watering Fall Garden Plants: Keep ’Em Soaked Your best defense is to
install a soaker hose before you set out plants or sow seeds. You may still need to
water by hand to make sure conditions stay moist, but shade covers can make the
difference between watering once a day or four times as often.
5.
Go Mad for Mulch Whether you use fresh green grass clippings,
last year’s almost-rotted leaves, spoiled hay, or another great mulch you have
on hand, place it over sheets of newspaper between plants. The newspaper will
block light, which will prevent weed growth, help keep the soil cool and moist,
and attract night crawlers and other earthworms.
6.
Deploy Your Defenses Against Garden Pests Luscious little seedlings attract a long list of
aggressive pests, including cabbage worms, army worms, and ever-voracious
grasshoppers. Damage from all of these pests (and more) can be prevented by
covering seedlings with row covers the day they go into the garden.
What About….Winter Gardening?????
Some vegetables such as leeks, spinach, kale, chard, and other hardy greens can survive a freeze and sometimes make it through a Missouri winter to continue growing in the spring. Last year, I had leeks to eat into December and saved some that were pulled up in February. Carrots that didn't get pulled up during the summer were left until November and were exceptionally sweet after the freeze date. The kale and spinach held their own during freezes, ice, and snow and went dormant December and January. They were harvested in April after they put on fresh leaves. No wonder kale and spinach are known as "SUPER FOODS!"
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| Iced kale in my garden 12/22/2013 |
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| Spinach under snow 1/19/2014. It was planted from seed the 2nd week of September 2013. |
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| The same spinach on 3/22/2014 as it came out of dormancy. |
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| First harvest of spinach on 4/14/14 at the same time of early Spring flowers and blooming Redbuds! |
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| Spinach and/or kale; the key ingredient for a nice "Green Drink" along with lettuce, celery, apple, lemon, and ginger. |
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| What a great way to start Spring...with something good for you from your Fall Garden!
Sources and Additional Information:
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MU Extension Master Gardener Core Manual
MU Extension Fall gardening feeds body and spirit
MU Extension Vegetable Planting Calendar
Photos: Beti Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener and Missouri Master Naturalist
Posted: 8/29/2014
Posted: 8/29/2014