Fall Garden

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Creating a fall garden in the South, where the seasons are…….ummmm nonexistent, is difficult but not impossible. We go from summer to winter then to summer……maybe 2 weeks of fall and spring. And a month or two of winter (which most people would call “fall weather”).

To have a successful fall garden you must follow some basic rules:

The first order of business is determining your growing zone. Use this website, enter your zip code – POOF – you know your zone.  http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/  

Once you know your zone, you can start planning your garden. Since we are starting in the fall, we will talk about what we need to do for fall harvests. 

1. Picking a place – Yard? Porch? Boxes? Directly in the ground? Pots? So many decisions. But you need to think about these things before you start. Sunlight, shade, water amount, drainage. All of this plays a part in your selection. So much to think about….let’s assume that you know where you are going to plant your garden.
2. Soil selection – 50% of your soil should be compost (plant or animal based is up to you) and 50% should be topsoil or potting soil. If you are planting directly into the ground, dig about 12 inches into the ground and mix your natural soil with the compost and potting soil to create a healthy growing medium. Let the soil sit for a few days before planting. 
3. Fall vegetables – Beets, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, and spinach are just a few. Of course, we all want to grow pumpkins. BUT we don’t plant those in late summer, we would plant those in July. This is why planning is an essential part of your garden. You have to know when you begin a seed to make it hardy for the ground and harvest in the proper environment. Side note: these are also the early spring vegetables. 
4. Seeds – indoor or outdoor start? This is why I LOVE fall……all low maintenance outdoor starts. Keeping in mind that all will harvest at different times, you need to plan accordingly and NOT all at ONCE! 2 week increments are best for keeping the garden going for the longest.  
5. Planting in rows – I can admit that my first year, I thought I could remember where I planted what and I didn’t need help remembering. WRONG! Until you know what the leaves of your vegetables look like, make yourself planting sticks. I used Popsicle sticks with pencil (sharpie fades in the sunlight). If you don’t do this, you will harvest too early, give up on seedlings before you should, not thin accordingly. SO mark your territory! Depending on the amount of room you have, you do not need to plant a row of a thousand seeds. 10 will do. You do not need to plant what you won’t eat! And remember, save the seeds to replant in 2 weeks for more harvesting. Beets, carrots, and peas need 1-2 inches between each other. Most greens (like cabbage, lettuce, kale, and spinach) start with a lot of seeds in a row and get thinned to about 4-6 inches apart. You need to leave room for the “head” of the green to grow. Side note: it is super important that your soil is free from rocks, debris, and clumps. Your “root” vegetables need to be able to grow without obstacles. 
6. Harvesting – how do you know when they are ready? Every vegetable is different. Beets and carrots have a healthy green stalk appearing from the ground (this is what you see). When these are ready to harvest, you begin to see the vegetable “peeking” out of the soil near the stalk. The best thing about carrots is you can leave them in the ground longer, they don’t become bitter like other vegetables when left to grow. Peas have a plump pod on their stalks when harvesting time arrives. Again, not all stalks will be ready at the same time and different stalks will produce several pods at different times. Pay attention to the size and plumpness of the pod, the peas inside are the vegetable you are eating. Greens look like they do in the grocery store when ready. The heads have fully formed leaves. You can dig up the whole head or clip the leaves. If you clip the leaves, you can leave the head to grow more, keeping in mind that most greens become bitter when left in the ground too long.  
7. Companion growing – most of your fall vegetables are compatible with one another. Try incorporating some herbs, they can help combat pests naturally and give you some more gardening fun. 

Have you started a garden in the fall? How did it go? Do you have any barriers you need help with?

Happy Growing,