If you want a fall garden, now is the time to act. Seedlings take a longer time to mature as daylight recedes. Waiting until September to tuck broccoli, kale or collard seeds into the soil won’t give the small plants enough time to germinate, mature and produce before freezing temperatures and long, dark nights. But seeding cold-tolerant plants in August comes with its own set of challenges. Here are a few tips to make your fall gardening easier.
If you don’t have the time to worry about shade or daily water for germinating seeds, buy seedlings. Hey man, life is busy. August’s sweltering mix of heat and humidity, along with school returning, means there’s plenty to distract you from the garden. Several area growers hold fall sales in September. They’ve already done the hard work of getting the seeds to germinate in 90-plus degrees. All you’ll have to do is purchase, plant in the ground and water normally.
If you want to eke out the last bits of garden produce and then hang up your garden trowel for the fall and winter, focus on root veggies and sturdy leafy greens. Most radishes mature in approximately 30 days. You could have several harvests before the frosts come. My favorite heat-tolerant variety is Cherry Belle. Kale also matures quickly (60 days) and transitions between steamy summer and cooler autumn. It adds heft to summery salads, as well as green, earthy flavors to sturdy warm soups. Kale plants likely will last through the first few minor frosts, even without protection. I prefer Rainbow Kale to other varieties. Other local farmers grow a whole slew of kinds, so feel free to experiment.
If you love summer produce and don’t mind taking a risk, resow your summer seeds for a fall succession. There is a chance this could fail. Disease and insect pressure mount in August for summer favorites like tomatoes and cucumbers. Frosts could come early and kill most of your work. That being said, if you can get your plants through the tough month ahead, you could be the only one on your block with cucumbers at the beginning of October. I did this last year, and it worked pretty well. Admittedly, pin worms infested many of my fall cukes, but those went to the chickens who loved the surprise inside. I ate—and sold—the rest. Pick varieties bred to tolerate late blight disease. Dragon Suyo Cross worked well for me last fall, but any cuke with thicker skin might stand a chance. Mountain Magic tomatoes and many of their cross bred cousins tolerate late blight to some degree.
If traditional fall veggies are your favorites to cook, try planting fall-specific varieties. Some veggies don’t care what season it is. Kale plants, for example, survive all but the coldest and hottest days in Northeast Georgia. Other fall favorites, like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and lettuce, grow better if they’re bred to handle the slowly darkening hours and cooler weather. I’ve tried growing fall broccoli in the spring and spring broccoli in the fall, and it doesn’t work—at least, not for me. I often try to stretch the harvest season, like growing cucumbers in October. Some plants don’t have that flexibility.
If you’re worried about a warm winter of climate change sending your sweet fall seedlings into a bolt-a-thon before you can eat them, pick varieties designed for the deep South. Veggies such as radishes, collards, lettuce and bok choy will bolt during an unseasonable warm patch. The plant sends up a stalk and produces little flowers, inviting pollinators to aid the plant in seed production. Most bolted vegetable plants become bitter and/or tough in the leaves and lower stalk. The cues for bolting change from plant to plant, but temperature can be a key ingredient. Purchase seed specifically bred for the South to avoid veggie bolts. I grew five varieties of bok choy before I found Prize Choi, an Asian green that can handle warm weather. I usually gravitate toward seed companies based in the Southeast because they have a better understanding of what will grow in Georgia’s climate than companies based in the Northeast or Midwest.
If fall gardening isn’t your thing, plant a cover crop. Cover crops prevent erosion during fall and winter storms, can look better than covering the space with a tarp, and help restore nutrients. They prevent weeds from taking over your garden, and help with compacted soil. Cover crops take care of themselves after getting established, so there isn’t much to worry about after germination. I’ve grown rye grass, vetch for nitrogen-fixation and weed suppression, and daikon radishes to punch holes and loosen compacted clay soil. I plan on experimenting with clover next.
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