Fall Edible Garden

[H D]

Ok, so I need to figure out what grows well in the fall.



I tried my hand at gardening for the first time this summer and grew some great tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos and cayennes. The tomatoes have slowed down significantly, even though it's still in the 90s, so I think they're pretty much done after I harvest what's left. Cayenne's are still going crazy. Bells have maybe another round as do the jalapenos. I'll do these again next year but get started earlier and add a few more items. I already have some banana trees but they don't fruit until the second year, supposedly. Oh, and the basil, thyme and parsley were great additions to many dishes.



So, I want to grow some edibles this fall. I'm thinking spinach, maybe some lettuce, but I think those both will require more knowledge and skill than I have. What grows well in a warm climate fall? Do we have any green thumbs on this forum?

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

You might be a little late now to be planting a fall garden. Fall gardens usually go in at the end of summer...Usually by August or early September. But I always say...the seed is cheap and the weather changes so you might get some good crops on some veggies and not so much on others. I like to mix lettuce, scallions, and red radish seeds and just sprinkle them over a 3-4 ft square and eat what ever comes up without worrying about which variety grew best, etc.



Most fast growing, cooler weather crops like lettuce, radishes, green onions, and some varieties of tomatoes, and peppers might yield a quick crop. The best things to plant are root crops like Carrots, parsnips, etc. They tolerate mild winters well and you pick them in late spring-early summer. I talked to one of our local farmers and he said that root crops do best planted in the fall and that will give them two growing seasons (fall and spring) I also had luck with cabbage and brussel sprouts in a fall garden and had brussels sprouts and salad from my garden on my Thanksgiving dinner table...:grin:



The other big advantage of a fall garden is the lack of insects that damage crops. Trying to grow cabbage in the spring is almost hopless because of the bugs that eat everything in site....Fall gardens so not have any insect problems.



....Rich

 

[H D]

Thanks Rich, exactly what I was looking for. I was late with my summer crops, mid June, but still had a really good crop. In my opinion it was good, anyway.



I was going to use containers and good soil. I planted all the summer plants in containers and have them on a drip irrigation system and it was incredibly easy knowing that they were getting the correct amount of water, especially in the Georgia heat.

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

Yes, you can be a little late planting a spring garden and still get good warm weather crops like tomatoes and peppers, etc. Fall gardens are not so forgiving if you plant late. When the weather gets colder and you start getting frost, that will usually kill tomatoes and peppers.



Since you are planting in containers, you might be able to stretch the season by protecting the cold sensitive plants or bring them inside at night...even in the garage is better than sitting out in the freezing weather.



A good container of mixed lettuces, green onions and radishes works good since the plants are low growing and you can always tent the container with clear plastic. That will act like a green house and you can probably leave it on day and night.



Since you are using containers, you may not want to grow root crops, since they take up more space....but if you have a small patch of ground you should consider planting some root crops like carrots and parsnips, etc. They are trouble free and require very little maintenance. After two growing seasons (fall and spring) you will get some huge carrots that are 2-3 inches in diameter and a foot long. The best part is that they taste so much better than what you buy in a local supermarket.



Good luck,



...Rich

 

[H D]

Thanks, all very good information.



I do have a little space for root crops. About 56 acres, lol. The reason for having these crops in containers was the ease of tapping into my current drip irrigation. I may plow up some space for some root crops and some lettuces and onions just to see how they do vs drip. I don't really want to run drip the distance that would be necessary.



Everything I've grown has been much better than supermarket stuff, especially the tomatoes.

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

That another great part of a root crop in a fall garden is that watering is really not much of an issue since the weather is cooler and there is often more rain from fall through spring.



Ya, with 56 acres, you probably don't have a space problem. Contains are good in that they are easier to take care of. Too many people plant a garden that is so big it becomes a full time job keeping it watered, weeded, and checking for bugs, etc.



One of the old saying I heard was "Crops always grow best in the shadow of the gardener". I even saw a guy who insisted on hand watering each plant individually, since it requires the gardener to look at each plant and inspect it.....That's a bit more time then I want to spend in the garden, especially in this Texas heat.



....Rich