Tips for a Super Fall Garden

Before summer draws to a close you should be planning and planting your fall garden. Here in southern Indiana, late July is the time to start planning if you are going to double-crop your garden. It's also time to get the garden cleaned up really well and make a seedbed to start some fall seedlings. And if you are saving your heirloom seeds to plant next year, now is the time to organize your saving-and-labeling procedures.

I double-crop most of my garden. Double-crop simply means growing two crops in the same soil during the growing season. Even though we're empty-nesters, I still have this compulsion to grow lots of food. I also space things close together and use lots of compost. In mid-summer I spread a good layer of compost in the empty areas of the garden, till it in, and plant some fall vegetables. The varieties you should plant for a fall garden in the mid-west are different than the spring main crop varieties. Look for seeds with shorter growing seasons, and cold tolerant varieties.

Late July is the time to seed broccoli and cabbage for fall transplants. In 3 - 4 weeks they will be ready to transplant. I prepare a seedbed right in the garden and grow them there. The summer sun can be brutal on these cool weather seedlings, and if the soil temperature is too warm they may not even sprout. To cool the soil down, I prepare the planting bed and then cover it with thick mulch or a pile of newspapers, or anything (non-plastic) that will block the sun and insulate the bed for a couple of days. Watering it a little before the shade-cover also helps. Then when I remove the shade-cover, the soil is much cooler underneath, and still moist. After the seeds are in the bed, I prop a couple of boards across the bed on some stones or bricks and it supports several layers of netting folded together. I use the netting that kept birds from eating the blueberries earlier in the year. This makes nice shade with good air circulation for the seedlings so the August sun doesn't burn them.

Plant green beans now, late July, at least 65 days before the first expected frost. You may only get one good picking from them, but it's great to have the extra fresh green beans in October. If you have a late frost you'll get bonus beans.

About mid-August is the time to begin planting fall peas and cooler lettuces like Bibb and leafy types. Snow Peas go in first in my fall garden, and if there's room left I'll plant some regular peas. When it's time to transplant the coles, it's also time to plant kale and beets. Late August is a good time to plant fall spinach. The easiest way to know when to plant your fall garden is to know the number of days to maturity for each vegetable you want to plant. Then count back from your earliest expected frost date.

And don't forget. Plant garlic a couple of weeks before the first frost. Be sure to plant it where it won't be in the way next spring, because you won't harvest it until next summer. Sometimes I "companion plant" garlic near the roses. Sometimes I forget where it is and pull it out the next spring, thinking it is weedy wild onions. Now I usually mark where I plant it.

This is the time to start gathering lots of mulching material to have handy. Mulch helps everything hang on through frost and freeze, especially root crops.

With a little luck there will be some garden-fresh food on the Thanksgiving table.