As a teacher, if you speak to me of the Fall in August, you might get a quick slap! However in my zone, if you want to be able to extend the season of fresh veggies, you have to start the physical work in early August. There is some planning that needs to be done earlier in the season as well. When you start planning your garden in the winter, read my post about garden journaling https://www.booziebee.com/post/garden-journaling here, make sure you have left space for Fall vegetables to be planted. You can leave space between your heat loving vegetables like peppers or tomatoes to interplant or if you have enough space, you can leave a whole bed for only spring and fall veggies.
What to Plant?
Basically, you can plant most things that you planted for a spring harvest in August for a fall harvest, with some minor exceptions. This season I am replanting beets, radishes, swiss chard, spinach, and cabbage. However, you could also plant peas, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale and other greens, kohlrabi, onions, and potatoes. This spring I planted icicle radishes, watermelon radishes, and regular red radishes. I was able to harvest all but the watermelon radishes. They grew great greens and started to form but before the roots grew enough to be harvested, they all bolted. Watermelon radishes, if you haven’t tried them before, are usually a larger radish that is white and green on the outside and red on the inside and are sweeter than the traditional red radish. They have become a favorite of mine since misfit market sent me one back when they choose the items rather than the customer picking them. I have since tried to grow them every spring with the same results, big greens with tiny roots. Lo and behold, I was reading a gardening magazine just this week and read all about “Fall Radishes.” Fall radishes will bolt in warmer weather before they mature so they shouldn’t be planted in spring. Guess the first radish on the list of fall radishes? Yup! Watermelon. So you better believe that I have replanted those watermelon radishes this week!
How to Prepare your Beds
If you choose to replant a bed that has been used this season, as many including myself will do, you need to prep your beds first. All those wonderful spring and summer vegetables have been happily using all the wonderful nutrients you have been building through your compost, mulching, and organic amendments. When it comes time for fall planting there isn’t a lot left for your new seedlings. My favorite way of adding back the nutrients is to spread a layer of finished compost on top. I don’t till my soil based on my research of permaculture, or the approach to farming/gardening that is an attempt to be sustainable and self-sufficient by seeking to recreate what is seen in flourishing ecosystems. Tilling the soil breaks up the very extensive and beneficial network of microorganisms in the soil for a VERY temporary burst in nutrients. In the long run this will just deplete the soil of nutrients, permaculture best practices are to use a garden fork to essentially aerate your soil and wiggle some of the amendments into the soil. You could also use any organic fertilizer as well depending on the needs of your soil, getting a soil testing kit could help you determine those needs and are generally pretty inexpensive. If you are lucky enough to have enough space to leave a whole bed or more empty for fall vegetables you can spread some quick growing cover crops after your spring harvest. I have never had the opportunity to use this method but many people who are experts in permaculture recommend this method above all else.
What Next?
Once your beds are prepared, there is little else to do besides plant your seeds or transplants and water and wait. There is one final task, however, that you may or may not choose to do. If you will be needing any greenhouse cover for your plants you may want to put the frames in place now. You do not and should not put the plastic cover on yet, it would be way too hot for any plant, even your heat loving ones, but if you get your frames in place you can quickly add the plastic cover when it is needed.
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