Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Seasonal Plantings
Perhaps what comes to mind for you when you think about gardening is a typical summer garden—
corn standing high, tomatoes ripening, and melons climbing trellises in the corner. However, that's
only a few weeks of the entire year. There are many plants that tolerate, even thrive, in cooler
weather and can be grown through the fall months as well.
These fall gardens can provide fresh produce through the entire year in some areas, and stretch the
growing season an additional few weeks in others. The first key to success with a fall garden is to
select plants that are suited to cool weather, such as the following:
Beets
Kale
Broccoli
Cabbage
Lettuces and arugula
Mustard
Chard and Swiss chard
Green onions
Radishes
Spinach
While you can purchase plant seedlings already started from the nurseries and garden centers, it is
more difficult to do so for a fall garden. Many big box garden centers stop offering new vegetable
seedlings around September or October, and in our area the only seedlings available were broccoli
and cabbage. As you can see from the preceding list, two plants barely touch the beginning of what
you can grow!
The best way to make sure you get the most variety from your cool-season garden is to start your
own seeds. Some crops are only available through seeds most of the time. For example, the heir-
loom Purple Sprouting Broccoli is noted as being extremely winter hardy, if a bit slow-growing.
Cover Your Crops in the Garden
When the temperature drops suddenly, or you are trying to keep your tomatoes going through
what is expected to be a temporary frost, you can cover the plants in the field. Use a thick layer of
mulch, row covers, hooped row covers, cloches, or Wall O' Waters to provide a temporary layer of
protection for tender fruits and vegetables. Each option provides varying levels of protection. Each
also comes with pros and cons, so choose whichever option is the best for your situation.
Thick layer of mulch.
Sometimes you can protect newly planted seedlings from a late frost, or
fruiting crops from an early one, with a thick layer of loose mulch. It's easy to apply in a quick
pinch, which is the upside. Of course, you'd need a supply of straw or mulched leaves at hand, and
it won't work well if the weather is also very windy. Mulch can be expected to give just a couple
degrees of additional protection, so it's best for a light frost situation.
