Fall Vegetable Gardening

— Written By Anelle Ammons
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

It’s time to plan your fall vegetable garden

The summer heat hit us quickly this year, and many gardens are going in full swing. We often think that summer heat and vegetable gardens go hand in hand, but did you know that you can plant a fall garden and still harvest late into the year? July and August are prime time to plant in our area to begin a garden that will be happy in the cool months and help keep your diet full of fresh, home-grown vegetables.

If you’re new to fall gardening, don’t be afraid to give it a try. You will want to choose cool season crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, spinach, turnips, carrots, etc. Fall is often a great time to put out onions and garlic to overwinter. Many of these vegetables grow well from seed in the fall, but pay special attention to keeping them moist, since this is typically a very hot, dry time of the year. You may consider covering the seeds with wet newspaper or vermiculite to help them stay moist during germination. A little shade might also be useful to keep them from drying out too quickly at first. If you plant your greens every two weeks, you will have delayed harvesting throughout the fall, rather than one giant harvest at once.

When you think about where to plant your fall garden, using a tiller can be an option if you have a spot in the yard that you’d like to cultivate, but there are several other options. Building raised beds are a great way to get around tilling and still have a localized spot in the yard for your garden. You can build beds out of wood, blocks, bricks, or simply mound soil higher so that it’s easier to reach. Traditional containers and salad boxes can also be a great way to grow food, as long as they drain and are large enough to accommodate the plant you’re growing. For a temporary solution, you can plant right inside pre-wet straw bales, and you can repurpose containers from around your house, as long as they have holes for drainage. Another often overlooked option is to plant vegetables in your flower beds in your yard and around your house. Growing food between your flowers is a great way to keep it close and keep maintenance more manageable.

Fall vegetable gardens can be even more susceptible to pests than spring gardens, so you will want to manage your garden wisely. Make sure you check on your plants often so that you are alerted at the first onset of any pest or disease. That allows you to make choices quickly on how to deal with it before the damage becomes too severe.

Growing food at home is a great way to add some fresh vegetable to your family’s diet, and it can be a fun, rewarding activity. With a little initiative, you can be growing vegetables into the fall and early winter to extend your growing season. If you have growing questions, give me a call at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Catawba County Center (828-465-8240) or look for upcoming classes.