HOME & GARDEN

FIVE TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL

FALL GARDEN

WRITTEN BY BRENNAN HALLOCK

August has arrived, which means for most people the gardening season is winding down. All of those gardens planted in the spring are now being harvested—the growers enjoying the fruits of their labor. But what if you missed out on planting a garden in the spring? Maybe you were too busy or were out of town. Or maybe you are one of those who planted a garden in the spring, but you don’t want the gardening season to be over yet. Is it too late to plant this year? Actually, the fall can be a great time for growing a garden, whether you are just starting out or you are moving on to your second garden of the season.

WHAT CAN YOU PLANT IN THE FALL? Because the fall has cooler weather, you will want to plant different crops than you would plant in the spring. Tomatoes and peppers love the rainy spring weather and hot summer weather, but they won’t like the dry, cool weather that comes in the later part of the year. Fortunately, though, there are a number of plants that do well in this season. Some plants best suited to this time of year are green beans, turnips, beans, radishes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, carrots, lettuce, spinach, collards, kale, and leeks. If you are having a hard time choosing from such a long list, though, there are a few that are easiest to grow. Phronsie Ferrand Wood, manager of Farrand Farms, a locally owned greenhouse and garden center in Kansas City, advises, “Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on too much. If you’ve never gardened, start out small. Start out with what you like to eat and what you want

to grow. If you enjoy gardening and have the time and energy, you can take on more.” She recommends cabbage, beets, Swiss chard, and turnips as good starter plants for the fall. WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT ABOUT A FALL GARDEN? If you’ve never gardened in the fall, there are some differences you should take into consideration. First, timing is very important. For deciding when to plant, you should plan backward from the average first frost date. Look at the number of days to harvest (usually listed on the seed packet) and count backward, then add two weeks because many vegetables grow more slowly as the days get shorter in the fall. Another difference is the amount you will need to water. Summer crops tend to need a lot of water, but fall crops only need to be watered about twice a week. You may want to give them more water initially and during the hot months of August and September, but as they grow they will do better with a couple deep waterings each week rather than many light ones. WHAT CROPS MATURE FASTEST? There are some fall crops that go from seed to table in 40 days or less. This means if you plant in early August, you can be eating the produce by midSeptember. These include arugula, mustard, spinach, turnips, and radishes. WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH OUT FOR WITH FALL CROPS? There are a few pests that can ruin a nice fall garden, so it is good to prepare for these. Cabbage, broccoli, collards, and other cole crops tend to get cabbage worm, which feed on the plants. Some options for keeping these pests away include Sevin, Eight Insect Control, and Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew (which also happens to be organic). “When you keep your garden weeded, you keep away insects and disease— that’s always a good thing,” explains Farrand Wood. “Mulch keeps out the weeds and holds in the moisture as well.”

WHAT CROPS CAN SURVIVE FROST? There are a number of vegetables that can keep growing even into late fall, when the temperatures begin to dip below freezing. These include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard, Swiss chard, and turnips. If you want to garden almost into the winter, these are the crops for you.

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