FALL Gardening!

[Crunchie]

So...for many of us, summer is in full-swing, planting long done. Seems like most everyone is harvesting and preserving. Me, I'm in Zone 7a, and it's HOT! Whew! I was also quite remiss in getting anything planted this year, so my main garden got underway, well, late. I've just now got blooms on my zucchini plants and fruits on the tomatoes. Better a few tomatoes late than none at all though, right?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to being able to plant some cooler weather crops--especially lettuce and greens (besides chard)! I'm tired of spending a fortune on store-bought lettuce!

Who else is thinking ahead to fall? What are your plans? When will you start planting?

 

[amyquilt]

I hope we are moved in time for me to do a fall garden. Where we live now, there's just no way to garden.

 

[Dace]

I am starting to think about my fall garden...in fact I was just looking up my first frost date Surprised that I never knew it before!

Looks like I have time for a second corn crop, and I will definitely put in some more tomatoes.

I am not sure that I understand how this works...I have read to count a couple weeks back from your first frost date and then subtract the 'days to maturity' and there you have your planting date...that makes sense for squeezing in more warm weather crops but when do I start my cool season crops?

 

[bills]

Lot's of summer left, so I have been hesitating to put in any seeds for fall quite yet. I worry that the hot weather, although great for germinating seeds, may cause some things to bolt, while still only 2" high.

I might try some seeding spinach, and broccoli, at the end of July and see how that goes.

 

[Nubsmum]

I too have been planning a fall winter garden. I got the book "The Four Season Harvest" form the Library. It is the best book ever. So much info I need to re read now that I am done. It tells you how to have things growing all year long no matter your zone.

Granted you can't grow toms or cucumber in the dead of winter but there are lots of great leafing things and root crops that withstand cold. I also made a set of three cloche frames this spring for three of my raised beds that are 3 1/2 feet by 8 feet. I am going to use these for the winter crops.

The book stresses succession planting. Every few weeks you are adding another row of something. Also, since you are harvesting all year long you change your thinking from planting a lot of one type of veg at one time, to staggering your plantings so you plant less at one time but have stuff coming on all the time. Hope that makes sense. Since I live in Oregon we are limited to the hot weather crops only in summer. However it sounds like even beans can be planted in late summer"who knows where" only to sit and lose nutrition at the grocery store.

:rainbow-sun

 

[patandchickens]

All I do in the fall is lettuce but it's getting towards time for me to figure out where I put the seeds, and do something with them I will plant them in recycled cell-paks or small pots and then transfer to windowbox containers (not actually affixed to windows ) once they are large enough - this way I can start them on the cool shady wind-protected E side of the house, but once the weather is cooler and they need/tolerate more sun I will just pick the windowboxes up and plop them down somewhere more congenial. Also it means I can tuck them against the house when frost threatens in late Sept


Pat

 

[Tutter]

Generally we plant a lot of brassicas/cabbage family, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower....though not much, it's kind of greedy, collards....lots of those, kale, brussel sprouts etc. plus carrots and garlic. They do well, and taste better for the cold weather.

However, every year it's like walking a tightrope. If I plant too early, things bolt. If I plant to late, they are hit with cold before they are ready. And the weather varies here. Maybe we'll have an Indian Summer, maybe not.

I have been giving it a lot of thought, though, yes.

 

[Crunchie]

I knew this would be a good topic to start--because I knew I would get some fabulous ideas! I really would like to get much more smart about succession planting. And that means getting organized, preparing beds and knowing where/when I'm going to put stuff...and with a toddler in the house, I'm not sure most days what the word "organized" means! Nubsmum, that book you mentioned sounds like a good place for me to start.

I will definitely plant some lettuce and spinach. I have a few 2' X 2' "raised beds" (my version of square foot gardening ) that are very easy to take care of, and I'd like to rotate some greens/lettuce into those once they are finished with their current residents. Of course, like a couple of you mentioned, it's going to take a bit of luck to avoid having these things bolt with an early fall heat wave--likely around here. I do have a bit of a shady corner to my one garden, and I'm thinking of trying to plant the first things there and make succession plantings in places that are full sun (like my little beds).

I'd also like to start some broccoli. We eat a lot of that around here, and it would be nice to put some in the freezer. I've never grown it, though! Do you direct seed a fall planting of broccoli?

What about beets? Are those something that you can plant for fall?

Amy, I hope you get your fall garden. While I haven't gardened nearly as much as I would have liked to the last several years (and I've still had more failures than successes when I have had a chance to), I would hate the thought of not having the opportunity at all! Good luck!

 

[theOEGBman]

I was thinkin about a Fall garden before I was finished digging my garden I have now!

I've never grown a Fall garden before, so any ideas would be awesome. Good thread, thanks for starting it up!

 

[Tutter]

Crunchie, beets are fine; I just can't grow them easily in my actual garden. All the ones I'm getting are from up by my house. I don't know where you are, but if it's cold, vs. wet, in the winter, then mulch helps them with lower temperatures.

For when to plant specific vegetables where you are, you should talk to local nursery people, or older people who've been growing in your area for years. But you probably have to start pretty soon with some things.

I start some by seeds directly, but in pots or flats for others (which were from my seeds.), then transplant. It's too harsh of conditions when they need to be planted often, and also the beds have to be ready for them. So, I hedge my bets!

Good luck!

OEGB, you can grow everything I can, plus more, because my winters are wetter.

Time to plan for it!