Fall Vegetable Crops

Nighttime temperatures this week crept down to 6 or 7 degrees; a bit unusual for the first week of September. 

Last year, we did not get our first serious frost until after Halloween.  If this year is similar to last, we have 8 more weeks until we need to scrape ice off our windshields. 

If there is anything positive about global warming, it would be that our growing season has become longer.  Vegetable gardeners of a decade or two ago waited until the May two-four weekend to plant most of the garden plants and seeds. These days it is safe to plant tomatoes, beans and peppers as early as May 10 or 15. 

Radish is the quickest vegetable to go from seed to the kitchen table, with some varieties requiring only 30 days to harvest. Leaf lettuce is not far behind. 

Many vegetables prefer growing in cooler weather rather than trying to grow in summer’s heat.  Some, like kale and brussels sprouts taste better after they’ve been hit with a touch of frost. 

Planting a second crop of veggies will reward you with an extended harvest and will save a few grocery dollars.  Radish and leaf lettuce are the obvious choices for early September seeding, but beans, spinach, kale, beets, and swiss chard are worth a try. 

Cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots and turnips need a little more time to mature and should have been planted in August for a second crop. 

When planting a second crop in early fall, choose vegetable varieties with short days to harvest, as shown on the seed packet.  Warm daytime temperatures will ensure seeds will sprout quickly. 

Planting a fall crop has two distinct advantages over spring planting.  Evening’s cool temperatures will yield morning dew, reducing the need for water from a faucet.  And summer’s insect pests will have largely subsided.  

If you are pushing your luck and sowing seeds in September, it might be wise to keep a few old bed sheets handy if an overnight frost is predicted.  Newspapers or cardboard will also do the trick.

Root crops such as carrots, beets, turnips, parsnip and rutabaga have the advantage of being unaffected by light frost and can be dug anytime before the ground freezes.  Members of the cabbage family can also be harvested after a few frosts. 

My mother, a wiser gardener than I will ever be, always hoped for a snowfall before Thanksgiving so the kale and brussels sprouts would have improved taste for dinner. 

Next week’s Garden Clippings will come up with a September checklist for gardeners.