John Cappadonna
Master Gardener Intern
July is the time to start your fall garden. There are many reasons to garden in the fall in West Texas, including the fact that the weather is much more comfortable. Cooler weather is kinder to plants and people. Fall gardens require much less water, and as temperatures drop later in the season, there are fewer and fewer bugs.
If there's one universal truth in gardening, it's that good soil makes a good garden and bad soil makes a bad garden. That means soil creation is job one, and the best way to create good soil is with compost. Most nurseries carry good quality bagged compost products. Look for composted cow manure or composted cotton fluff. If you're gardening in an existing flower bed, mix composted cow manure or composted cotton fluff into the flower bed. Work the compost into the soil with a turning fork, shovel, or small cultivator. Compost should be mixed into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil.
To mix soil for containers or small raised beds, use two 1 cubic foot bags of composted cow manure, one 2 cubic foot bag of composted cotton burl, one 2 cubic foot bag of potting soil, and one cubic foot of coarse vermiculite. Add greensand as directed and you're ready to go.
Start planning your fall garden in the middle of summer so you have time to prepare flower beds, improve your garden soil, and purchase seeds three weeks before you plan to plant.
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My favorite fall vegetables are spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, collards, kale, and bok choy. They are all easy to grow from seed. Plant Swiss chard, collards, kale, and bok choy in late summer, around September 1-15. Plant spinach and lettuce in late September, as they need cool soil to germinate well. If you like cilantro, plant it at the same time as the spinach. It germinates best when the soil cools to below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Most herbs, except basil, grow best from fall through winter.
Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and turnips are also popular fall crops. Kids love picking carrots; it's so much fun. But getting carrots to germinate can be tricky. The trick is to keep them evenly moist. They take 3+ weeks to germinate, so be patient. Plant carrots in early September. Beets and turnips can be planted any time during September. For a steady supply, you can plant them in succession, about 2 weeks apart.
A few of my favorite varieties are Flash (collards), Winterbolt and Mamba (kale), Giant of Virofle (spinach), Fordhook Giant (Swiss chard), Lee Ren Choy (bok choy or pak choi), Silky Sweet (turnip) and Bolero (carrot).
All of these vegetables are cold hardy and can survive freezes. If temperatures drop below 20 degrees, it's a good idea to use row covers to prevent damage. With a little care, most of these vegetables can be grown through the winter and into spring.
If you have any questions, please call the Odessa AgriLife office at 498-4071 or the Midland AgriLife office at 686-4700. More information and a blog with access to past articles can be found at westtexasgardening.org.[リソース]Please click on the.
Enjoy your fall gardening!
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