How to Plant Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardens
If you are considering planting vegetable gardens through the Fall and Winter seasons, there are a few things you want to keep in mind. The advantage of planting vegetables in the cooler temperatures is that the flavor you will end up with is much better and much stronger than those gardens planted in the summer and spring. Vegetables that do well into the fall include tomatoes, peppers, okra, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage. But there are a few things you need to undertake before you start planting.
In the cooler temps, you want to plant seeds as opposed to plants that will need transplanting. As the seeds emerge and are about ½ inch tall, you want to thin them out a bit so that they are approximately one foot apart. Root vegetables such as carrots and beets will need to have loose soil around their base in order to allow for expansion and growth. You also need to ensure that ALL of your seeds have plenty of moisture and water until they are fully emerged. After you have done your seeding, cover them with soil, compost, or sand, as this will help the soil keep its moisture, and prevent hardening of the soil from cooler temps.
Key factors in deciding what to plant are how long it will take your plants to grow, and their tolerance to frost. Mid July is a good time to begin your cabbage and potatoes as they do require longer growth and maturation periods. Early September is sufficient time for radishes or lettuce. Keep an eye on how much fertilizer you are using, as too much will ruin young plants in cooler temperatures.
You also want to avoid the addition of too much organic matter to soil. As temperatures drop, organic matter can loosen soil and even dry it out. Save your organic material for later Fall because you should not need too much soil preparation in September. You also want to ensure you avoid too much tilling, just till lightly and cultivate your soils surface by hand or with a small fork in order to prepare your seed beds. After approximately two weeks, you can fertilize along the sides of your rows and keep up the moisture.
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