4 Gardening Secrets for a Bountiful Fall Harvest

While TV might have you believe that spring is the official start of gardening season, it is actually fall that marks the beginning of planting season. Lower temperatures and more natural water availability are ideal -- if you avoid four common gardening mistakes. Even if you have fallen for the Siren song of the shiny new gardening tools in spring, it is not too late to get started. Conversely, even if you are just finishing the cleanup from a July 4 barbecue, it is not too early to get started, either. What is the first order of business for a bountiful fall harvest and healthy garden? Drainage!

1. Establish proper drainage

The Washington State Extension experts mince no words when they identify fall as the "most active planting period" in the Pacific Northwest. Pointing to warm soil temperatures that further root growth, as well as milder air temps that prevent plant stress from excessive water loss, they nevertheless warn that improper drainage leads to plant deaths. On hot summer days the drainage problem is not as apparent -- after all, the soil barely holds on to the water. In fall, improper drainage leads to soil flooding, lack of oxygen for plant roots and eventually freezing because of the water build-up (if the plants do not drown first).

2. Water according to the plants' needs and seasonal moisture

Just because you live in an arid climate does not necessarily mean that you must douse the vegetation at every turn. It is possible to have plants die in the desert because of over-watering. Consistent wetness inhibits root growth and might just be a harbinger for diseases and molds. Give the soil a good watering before working in additives. Water lightly but frequently when planting. As the roots go deeper, switch to deep watering sessions. Taper off as rain increases.

3. Look for fast-growing veggies

Unless you live along the sunny Southern California coastline, frost is a very real danger to a fall bumper crop. When preparing the fall garden for a bountiful harvest of tasty vegetables, be sure to plant veggies that mature quickly. Cherry tomatoes and any variety of vegetables with a less than 75-day growth window is ideal. This caveat introduces the hobbyist most likely to varieties that she never considered for a spring garden.

4. Start by August 1 (in some cases even July 1)

Smith County Extension horticulturist Keith Hansen offers a planting list that might challenge the common sense understanding of most gardeners. Beans should be planted by August 1 -- same as carrots and broccoli -- while pumpkins and pepper plants should actually be brought to the soil as early as July 1.

An early frost might still halt your fall gardening. Still, all is not lost if the weather forecasters warn of dropping temperatures! Protect plants against the earliest frost that is not as severe as its successors. Even so, at this point it is time to look to an early harvest.

Sources

Washington State Extension: "Fall Gardening"

Smith CountyExtension: "Fall Vegetable Gardening"

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