Enjoying fresh vegetables doesn’t have to end once the cooler temperatures of fall arrive. Why not grow a fall garden and keeping the “yummy” coming for a few months more? Most vegetables that are typically planted in the spring will do well in a fall garden, provided you allow them time to mature before the frost hits.
In order to grow a fall garden successfully, you’ll need to do the prep work in the dog days of summer. Whether you have an entire fall garden, or just reserve an area of an existing garden, you’ll want to ensure it’s properly fertilized about a month before planting. This gives the fertilizer time to transfer its nutrients to the soil.
Most vegetables grow best in a pH balanced soil of between 5.8 and 7.2. Testing your soil with a home soil test kit will tell you what your soil’s pH is. If it comes up lower than 5.8 the soil is acidic and needs a little lime added to it. If your soil comes up higher than 7.2 the soil is alkaline and needs the addition of an iron sulfate.
When to Plant Your Fall Vegetable Garden
Your best chance of tucking in a successful fall garden is to know when the typical first frost is in your area and how long each vegetable you plan on growing takes to mature. Once you know these two things, count backwards, from your frost date, how many days your vegetables need to mature. This will tell you when to plant that vegetable.
Example: Heirloom tomatoes take approximately 75 days to mature and ripen. If you have a usual frost date of November 15th you’ll want to plant those young tomato plants no later than the last week in August.
Do be aware of your vegetables sunlight requirements. Onions, for example, need longer days to mature properly and may not do well if planted too late in the season. Gives them a head start by planting at the end of July or early August and you should be fine.
Growing a fall garden makes good sense for many reasons. You can sneak in an extra crop, plant vegetables you didn’t have room for in your spring garden and enjoy your gardening just a little bit longer, without the uncomfortable heat of the mid-summer sun. Your plants will like it, too, as lower temperatures reduces their water requirements and the risk of sun scorched leaves.
So don’t let that garden go to waste. There’s still plenty of good days left after the summer’s gone to grow a fall garden.
