By Mark O’Farrell and Craig Witt, Soil Council |
Q: What kind of plants can I grow in my vegetable garden in the fall?
A: There are a lot of vegetables that prefer cool temperatures and do well in this area. Garlic is a wonderful, easy to grow vegetable that needs to be planted in the fall. It will be ready to harvest next year in June.
There are numerous relatives in the brassica family including cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens and various Asian greens that you can plant and harvest this year. They all love our cool fall weather. Cabbage and broccoli take much longer to reach an edible stage, so it helps to get them started early and transplant them out. The others can be direct seeded in the garden, as their leaves can be enjoyed at any stage, from small sprouts to fully mature plants.
Other favorites that can be direct seeded in the fall are lettuce, carrots, beets and spinach. Even the hardiest vegetables can be injured by severe frost, and their growth will slow to a stop as temperatures begin to stay below freezing. One way to extend your season is to build a simple cold frame or use a frost blanket, also called row cover, to cover your plants. You can create a microclimate for your plants at very little cost. Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Harvest is a comprehensive reference for off season gardening.
Q: What can I do with my garden area to prepare for winter?
A: “Feed your Mama!”
The earth has been working overtime all summer to feed you, now is the time to start cycling nutrition back into the soil. If you feed your garden and tuck it in for the winter, it will wake up and be ready to crank out the cornucopia again next year.
Mulch any perennials or cool weather crops you’re going to keep. Incorporate the remaining plant residue into the soil, or remove it and feed it to your compost pile.
If you haven’t had your soil tested, now is an excellent time to do it. Like taking yourself to the doctor for a check-up, a soil test can reveal any nutritional deficiencies that could adversely impact soil health.
Feeding your soil compost now, along with any other recommended mineral nutrients, gives your soil lots of time to digest. Some amendments, like rock phosphate and calcium, are very slow reacting in the soil and need a few months to really help your soil.
Finally, think about planting a winter cover crop. Winter annuals, like cereal grains and hardy clovers, will protect your soil from the harsh winter elements and actively cycle nutrients while your garden takes a long winter’s nap.
For more info, contact Craig Witt and Mark O’Farrell at Full Circle Compost at (775) 267-5305 or craig@fullcirclecompost.com or mark@fullcirclecompost.com.
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