Starting fall seeds

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I plan on planting broccoli, onion seeds for spring sets, chard, spinach, collards, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, brussell sprouts, and beets for our fall garden. I was wondering how and when you guys put your seeds in. I know that lettuce, spinach, and onion seeds will be direct sown, these are the only ones I'm sure about. I have bought starts and had success with broccoli and collards.

Since I'm in 7b we have really hot summers and our growing season is long. I was wondering if I start some of these now, such as carrots and beets. Do I direct sow them now for late fall and spring harvest next year. I realize on the packet they say 90 days, but I have seen videos and read blogs on people starting them in spring and harvesting in late fall, which I assume is around 150 days. This would explain some of my failures as the carrots and beets sprouted but by the end of summer they were tiny. Should they have been left in and harvested in November? Would it be too late to start them in August or too hot? The beets just didn't sprout, but when we tilled the garden in spring some (5 or 6) of them came up and made small beets. So the seed sat there all winter dormant, but we needed to plow the garden for summer crops and they didn't get big, but were good.

Broccoli, collards, kale, chard, and brussel sprouts can be started in seed pots and planted in late summer as I pull out other plants in my garden. We do not have a very long winter and it does freeze some, but only at night or for 2 or 3 days and we have an occasional light snow.

I know I can grow these things, but my success rate has not been that great. I think I need to understand how they work better. The planting chart at the UGA extension office (local for me) does not help. Planting dates did not work for me last year at all.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I'll be interested in the replies to this topic, too. I have a miserable track record with mid summer starts for fall cool weather plants.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I watched the video by webcajun on planting carrots. If I go by his upload date in zone 8 he plants in November or late October.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR1Hqcx2Hos&feature=plcp


He harvests in March

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw20ABUmRUk&feature=plcp

But that is a lot of guessing on my part and I'm in zone 7b. I've watched other peoples videos where they still have carrots waiting to be harvested in May, but I don't know their zones. Can carrots be left in the ground to grow more than their allot time on the back of a seed pack?

The webcajun is where I learned about planting candy onions from seed in the fall, digging them up in spring and planting them for sweet onions to harvest at the end of summer. Yummy and works like a charm for my zone. Even though I've helped garden for years, there were things we never grew and as an adult with my own little garden, I like to try other things. I just don't have any experience with them.

 

[desertlady]

I am in AZ , I plant carrots onions, and beets all summer long and they keep going throught the fall. By the end of August or Middle Sept. I plant fall crops.

 

[so lucky]

I am in AZ , I plant carrots onions, and beets all summer long and they keep going throught the fall. By the end of August or Middle Sept. I plant fall crops.

Really desertlady? I am glad to know that. And you can harvest them in the fall? or do you leave them till spring? I was wondering if I could plant carrots and beets now. I may as well give it a shot!

 

[catjac1975]

I Massachusetts I do consecutive planting for many crops. I direct sow. We probably do not have the extreme heat as you do or at least for not as long. This is such a strange year that I am off in my planting. My very early planted broccoli is not that great. The heads are small though tasty . The kale is fantastic and the cauliflower inedible. I will probably direct sow broccoli etc. in a couple of weeks. I have no luck with fall peas. I remember years when we had frost in very early september and one year when I had green beans in November, with just a bit of covering with a row cover. (Boy are they tender and sweet grown in such cool weather.) If you don't mind wasting a bit of seed just keep consecutive planting. I have squash currently bearing, Very early for me, and I also just planted seed for a second crop. I will do one more planting by July 4th. The real answer is experimenting with what is right for your zone. You might try indoor starts if you are worried about extreme heat.
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I plan on planting broccoli, onion seeds for spring sets, chard, spinach, collards, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, brussell sprouts, and beets for our fall garden. I was wondering how and when you guys put your seeds in. I know that lettuce, spinach, and onion seeds will be direct sown, these are the only ones I'm sure about. I have bought starts and had success with broccoli and collards.

Since I'm in 7b we have really hot summers and our growing season is long. I was wondering if I start some of these now, such as carrots and beets. Do I direct sow them now for late fall and spring harvest next year. I realize on the packet they say 90 days, but I have seen videos and read blogs on people starting them in spring and harvesting in late fall, which I assume is around 150 days. This would explain some of my failures as the carrots and beets sprouted but by the end of summer they were tiny. Should they have been left in and harvested in November? Would it be too late to start them in August or too hot? The beets just didn't sprout, but when we tilled the garden in spring some (5 or 6) of them came up and made small beets. So the seed sat there all winter dormant, but we needed to plow the garden for summer crops and they didn't get big, but were good.

Broccoli, collards, kale, chard, and brussel sprouts can be started in seed pots and planted in late summer as I pull out other plants in my garden. We do not have a very long winter and it does freeze some, but only at night or for 2 or 3 days and we have an occasional light snow.

I know I can grow these things, but my success rate has not been that great. I think I need to understand how they work better. The planting chart at the UGA extension office (local for me) does not help. Planting dates did not work for me last year at all.

 

[desertlady]

So Lucky : My carrots can grow year round. but it wont germinate when weather on ground freezes. But once you can start your seeds it will grow through cooler weather !. I ve got them scattered all over including my big planter pots. no spaces are waste ! I buy all kinds of carrots too keep my crops growing !. If you want carrots all winter put them in pots ! onions do good too ! P.S. I grow carrots for stew and my little doggies!! , they love them !

 

[momofdrew]

Hangin'...I havent even got my summer seeds in yet.... with all the rain we have been getting... I am quite envious that you are already thinking about the fall...