Our vegetable gardens will soon be starting to wind down but that doesn’t mean it is anywhere near over, so don’t hang up your trowel yet. You probably planted cool weather crops early in the season before the summer heat started.
Now is the time to start your fall garden to keep enjoying those yummy, fresh veggies. The days are getting shorter and are also getting cooler. There will be fewer pests and diseases than came with the summer garden; seeds germinate quicker than in the spring because the soil is already warm; and planting a fall garden helps to keep the weeds at bay. And, when temperatures start to drop, root crops convert some of their starch to sugar, which helps to keep the water in their cells from freezing and makes them taste sweeter.
Understanding the difference between cool season and warm season crops is important. They have different temperature preferences that affect their growth rate and yield potential. Cool season crops grow best at a temperature between 45F degrees and 75F degrees. It is a good idea to have a row cover handy, if a heavy frost is expected. Cool weather crops can be planted in succession all season long but depending on the heat levels, I recommend shade cloths during extreme heat for the best yields.
There are many quick-growing vegetables that not only thrive in cooler weather but benefit from a light frost. It helps that the soil holds the heat that it has absorbed throughout the summer. Check your Farmer’s Almanac for the first expected frost and count backwards to figure out the best time to plant. The number of days until maturity is on the seed package.
Starts, that you would have planted back in July in containers, can now be put in the ground. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cauliflower are examples. If broccoli and cabbage don’t get to form a head, you can still enjoy their leaves.
With any luck, you purchased extra seeds and have some left over from the spring or you can still order from a seed catalog. The garden centers seem to no longer have them for sale. There are any number of seeds that can be directly sowed, such as lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, beet greens, radicchio, mustard, collard greens and Swiss chard. Carrots, turnips and beets may also be planted. They may not reach full size but will still be healthy and delicious. Beet greens are also great to eat. Other seeds that can go in are beans (both bush and pole), radishes, dill, parsley, basil and cilantro. And remember to fertilize.
Potatoes can still be planted, but you would have to purchase organic potatoes from the grocery store or order from a catalog. Onion bulbs grow quickly and can also go in.
Kale, arugula, and spinach can be left to overwinter to be the first sign of life in the spring. Leave some carrots and parsnips in the ground and cover with at least six inches of mulch to enjoy in the early spring. Garlic and shallot bulbs are planted before a hard frost to overwinter and be harvested the next July.
Garden On Everyone!
Elizabeth White grew up on a farm in Shekomeko Valley and holds a degree in agronomy from SUNY Cobleskill. She’s been an active member of the Pine Plains Community Garden since 2020.