Seasonal Transitions: Summer to Fall
By Don Rosenberg, author of ‘No Green Thumb Required!
Organic Family Gardening Made Easy’

Believe it or not, the heat of the summer is the time to start planting your fall garden. Many people think of vegetable gardening as a spring and summer activity, but our climate is so mild you can have successful crops all four seasons. So be ready to plant your fall/winter garden between August 15th and September 15th in the middle of the country – earlier for up north and later for down south.

The fall garden is often overlooked, but one of the most rewarding. By the time the plants are productive most of the bugs will be gone and harvesting is done in much cooler weather. What can you grow in the fall? Think salads and you’re off to a good start. Imagine a colorful lettuce salad with arugula, carrots, radishes and even some spinach thrown in, all organic, and all right from your own back yard. Mix in the summer crops of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes you’ll still be harvesting until the first frost and your mouth should be watering!

If you already have a garden, you don’t have to pull up your summer crops to get started. Just before you plant your fall seeds, clean up everything you can. Remove the lowest 12” of branches of tomato plants and all diseased or yellowing leaves, pull out that last squash plant (admit it, you’re sick of squash anyway!) and clean up your soil. If you have a place where your cucumbers and green beans are climbing, clear out some room at the base to plant your peas. This is a great time to sprinkle on some slow release, organic fertilizer or worm castings and mix it into the top inch or two of your soil.

All fall crops should be planted from seed sown directly in the soil. There are only two types of seeds to consider – small seeds and large seeds. For large seeds – peas, beets, swiss chard – simply lay them out where you want them and then press them ½” into the soil and pinch some soil over top.

For small seeds, set aside some fine soil and smooth out your bed. Mark where your new crops will go and sprinkle your seeds evenly, covering them with 1/8” of your extra soil. Pat it down for good contact. Fall seedlings won’t like the high temperatures of summer, but your summer plants will cool the soil by offering a bit of shade.

Here’s the most important part – water your tiny seeds lightly twice a day for the next 7-10 days. You’ve heard me say you should water deeply and less often, but with severe summer heat sometimes the tiny seeds will have trouble germinating, and when they do, the little seedlings can dry up before they put down good roots.

So use a light misting spray and give a good drink of water to all your tiny seeds while they’re germinating and getting started. Once everything is up and growing you can move back to deep watering every few days as needed.

Finally, keep an eye on things. If the high temperatures continue, consider adding some shade to your garden in the afternoon. Anything you have around will do – an old screen, an old door, a tarp. The idea is not to cover the garden, but to stand something up to the side to shelter the garden from the blistering afternoon sun. Any light past 3pm on a hot day is not going to be much help to your fall seeds and seedlings.

So get onto the Internet or stop by the garden center and pick out some fall garden seeds. Look for unusual varieties and experiment with new crops. Soon you’ll be enjoying the best salad you’ve ever tasted!

Don Rosenberg on Big Blend Radio
Don Rosenberg was a featured guest on Big Blend Radio’s ‘Garden Gossip’ home & garden radio show, where he discuss fall veggie gardening, and the benefits of growing your own organic veggies. The show aired live on Sept. 12, 2009. To listen to his interview, please double click the play button below.