Fall Gardening – A primer on Gardening After Summer

Fall Gardening: A Primer on Gardening after Summer

Gardening is not a chore reserved for spring only. Fall can be a great time to touch base with the garden after bidding the warmer months adieu.

In a place like Texas where the months of July and August tend to be searing, the wonderful autumn weather enjoyed in many parts of the Lone Star State makes it possible to grow a spring garden in fall.

In fact, second season gardening brings with it a slew of distinct planting benefits.

The Benefits of Fall Gardening

For one, the cooler, milder weather is easier on plants as it is on gardeners. The soil still retains a mite of warmth, and this allows roots to grow until the ground freezes.

Unknown to many, fall offers a more conducive environment for planting than spring does, as the rain and other erratic weather makes it difficult to work the soil during the first season. Plus, plants don’t grow in spring until the soil warms up.

As well, fall gardening affords us a lot more free time compared to the frenetic pace synonymous with spring. Disease and pest issues also tend to fade away in fall; they are there, but not as rampant as during the warmer months. And vegetable crops planted in fall store more sugar and have a more enhanced flavor than spring produce.

As an added bonus, the late season can also be a great bargain time at garden centers as they are always looking to offload their inventory before winter kicks in.

However, you will need to manage your fall vegetable garden differently than you would a spring garden.

Here are some tips that will make your autumn efforts a more successful endeavor.

Soil Preparation and Compost Application

If you are planning to plant in fall, it is usually ideal to add compost to the garden during summer.

The high temperatures help in solarizing the soil which is particularly beneficial for soil that is blighted with root knot nematodes (the microscopic worms that make galls on the roots). You can hasten this process by rototilling your soil several times a day, say four or five times, making sure to space it out at 3-5-day intervals.

This exposes the nematodes and any other pathogen to the sun’s rays, killing them in the process.

As for manure, opt for thoroughly composted material if you are purchasing commercial compost. The problem with applying partially composted muck is that it contains impurities like straw, twigs, bark etc. They are organic, alright, but what these materials do is suck much needed nitrogen from your soil as it decomposes. This is not what we want.

Manure that is well composted boasts a dark, earthy texture, with no discernible odor. You can always ask your supplier if it is properly composted prior to purchasing.

What to Plant: Long-term vs. Short-term Crops

Fall vegetable crops are grouped into either long-term or short-term. This duration is dependent upon the date of the first killing frost and the vegetables cold tolerance.

Always group the plants according to their frost tolerance, bunching the long-term frost-tolerant ones together. The likes of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, spinach, kale, carrot, onion, turnip, collard, brussels sprouts and lettuce belong to this category.

Do the same for short-term crops that are susceptible to frost so that they can be removed when they succumb to the frost. Examples of frost-susceptible vegetables include okra, cucumber, pea, eggplant, tomato, corn, bean, watermelon, squash, sweet potato and Irish potato.

Fall is also a great time to plant herbs, and some of those that do well in Texas during fall include cilantro, rosemary, comfrey, sage, chamomile, basil, dill and parsley.

Planting

When planning a new garden, don’t forget that vegetable crops should be planted where the soil drains well because the season gets wetter as the colder months approach. As well, the seeds should be planted at a location where they are exposed to at least 8 hours of direct sun each day.

However, keep in mind that small seeds such as carrots need to retain moisture if they are to sprout. You can use mulch or compost to serve as a light cover. Alternatively, feel free to add see-through white fabric to shelter the sprouting seeds from the sweltering Texas sun.

Plastic garbage bags can work too, but make sure to paint them white in order to reflect the sun better.

Some seeds find it hard to thrive in the hot weather of August or September when it is ideal to start seed. For such, it is always good to wait it out until the temperatures moderate.

Frequent watering can accelerate germination, but once the seedlings take root, literally-speaking, free feel to water deeper and on a less frequent basis.

If you want to get a head start on the season, you can skip the seeding altogether and purchase seedlings instead.

Keeping Insects at Bay

As with every other season, insects can be a bane in a fall garden. Cabbageworms in particular tend to take to a fall garden like ducks to water. Fortunately, most worm troubles can be controlled with a biological insecticide that is harmless to humans.

As for aphids, planting a small patch of clover or vetch – ideally around the edges of your garden – will sound their death knell. It attracts ladybugs like moths to flame, and once they [the ladybugs] have set camp in your garden, they will sort out the aphid problem for you.

Texas also witnesses its fair infestation of grasshoppers, regardless of the season. While they can be virtually impossible to control during an outbreak year, it is possible to curb their impact through the use of not just insecticides, but also landscape plants that are less predisposed to damage, as well as physical barriers like fiber row cover.

If you can, you could also encourage insect-eating birds like mockingbirds, bluebirds and scissortails by providing nesting boxes and water. But keep your fingers crossed and hope for a very cold fall and winter so they do not lay many eggs for the coming season.