Schools back in session and time
is short, and it might seem a little early to be thinking about a fall garden,
with the temperature still in the 100’s or high 90’s but it’s better to start
planning now. As gardeners in Texas, we
are blessed with a longer growing season that our counterparts in the Northern
part of the States. We can almost have a
garden year-round, if we have a green house or means of covering our crop to
ward off the frost. We do not have to
worry about frost for many more weeks, so let’s start to plan our fall garden
and what we want to grow.
We like to start some seeds
inside and directly sow others for our fall growing season. We will even try to plant some squash plants
that should yield some fruit in the fall that are not traditionally planted at
that time. Of course, we will start
crowd favorites such as butternut squash and spaghetti squash, as well as at
least a plant or two of zucchini or yellow squash. Hopefully we have taken care of those pesky
squash bugs, and we have a better fall with our squash plants.
In order to start our fall
garden, we have to get it ready for planting.
I like to make sure our beds are clean and then add a fresh layer of
compost for the best results. Nothing
saps the nutrients out of a garden like plants do. The vegetables you planted before take a lot
of the amendments from the soil that you placed in the spring, so it’s a good
rule of thumb to add some good nutrition back into the soil for a better
harvest. Compost, ground eggshells,
banana juice or coffee grounds are all good choices, depending on what you are
looking to grow. Clear your beds out and
mix well, before planting. I like to let
my compost sit for a few days in the fall before planting with a couple of days
of good watering to help develop the nutrition level of the soil.
Water is still really important
for your fall garden, especially since it’s still pretty hot out and the sun
and soil temperature are sure to dry out your garden faster. You can help prevent the loss of moisture by providing
a layer of mulch around your plants.
That will help to retain moisture and grow your best produce.
What should you plant this fall? Fall is a great time to plant all your
greens. Especially Asian greens such as
Bok Choy, Pac Choy, and Napa. We also
plant Kale, Spinach and Broccoli in the fall garden. Arugula and Snow Peas are great additions as
well, since they all like the cooler weather and will produce longer. This year I think I’m going to give Carrots a
try as well as Beets. My family enjoys
fresh grown Beets, and we have in the past planted a few different varieties
that taste amazing. Carrots in Texas I
feel are a challenge but the reward is well worth the challenge.
For herbs we will plant cilantro
again, since it most definitely is a cool weather herb. As well as Parsley. Our Parsley that is still hanging on from the
Spring is looking a little rough but I think if I can keep it going and add
some friends, we could have a great harvest to dry and make new fresh herbs
with.
Do not let the summer heat keep
you out of the garden. Instead dive back
in and clean out your beds and get them ready for the fall. Nothing is better than cutting fresh greens
for a salad or stir fry for lunch or dinner.
Plus, I’m really looking forward to filling my herb jars for cooking
with fresh, dried herbs from our home garden.
Start your seeds early and enjoy a bountiful harvest in the fall.
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