Fall Gardening

Although it may still be awfully hot in August, looking at the calendar, we are only about 10 weeks away from the average frost date: October 15 in our neck of the woods.  So, now is the time to start planting your fall crop to make sure it has enough time to mature.  Here are some tips to get you started:

Select varieties carefully.
The best spring varieties are not always the best fall varieties. Spring varieties germinate in cool, moist conditions and mature as the days grow drier, warmer and longer. Fall varieties have just the
opposite growing conditions: long, dry days at first and short, cool, moist days as they mature.  Check out the UT Extension Publication on Fall Gardening for a list of recommended varieties here:  SP291-G.

Plant at the proper time.
Here is how to figure out when to plant what: 

1. Begin with the average first frost date - that's about October 15.
2. For plants that can NOT handle any frost, subtract two weeks from the frost date = October 1.
   For plants that CAN handle a light frost, you can push the dates out a bit and add 2 weeks = October 30.
3. Now look at your seed packet or catalog description to find the estimated days from planting to maturity. 
4. Add about 10 days to the maturity days because of the cooler, shorter days in the fall. So, if your seed pack says 50 days, make it a total of 60 days.
   
5. Then, subtract the total number of days required for the vegetable to mature from the date when you want to start harvest.  For example: Subtracting 60 days from October 1 gives us August 1 as your latest plant date.

If Math is not your thing, UT Extension Publication SP291-G also gives average planting times for a variety of crops to get you going.

Maintain moisture during germination.
Vegetable seed will not germinate without moisture.  For Fall Gardening, high temperatures and sparse rainfall can make conditions for seed germination even a bit more difficult.  So, water the soil well before planting fall vegetables and plant the seeds 1/4 inch deeper than you would planting spring vegetables to help reduce chances of the seed drying out.

Fall Garden Care.
Fall gardens require more attention than spring gardens:  More insects, more diseases, more weeds, less rain.  Don't let this keep you from giving it a try!  Just keep a close eye on your Fall garden: Control the problems while they are small and apply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water weekly when it does not rain.

For more Fall Gardening information, come to see us at the FREE Fall Gardening Workshop at the Farmers Market (August 3rd, 9:30 am), visit our UT Extension Office, or Ask a Master Gardener.

Happy Fall Gardening!

By: Sabine Ehlers, CMG - 7/27/2012

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