Are you planning your fall garden?

[LvsChant]

As the proliferation of YouTube gardening shows keeps me enthralled, I was inspired to actually put pencil to paper to plan out my fall garden. I like to do succession planting in my garden beds, since I have to get maximum use out of the space I have, but actually thinking of when and where to put the fall plants was a good exercise.

FYI - Baker Creek has a great playlist on succession planting and what to plant month by month https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4H_Epzfcx26Z_yg0WDN36U830isgYE8z

One of the vids I watched suggested starting with your region's expected first frost date and counting up the days you have until then to determine what you can still plant and get a harvest from.

Based on my first frost date of Oct 21, I have about 99 days. So... this morning I started brassicas in starter pots (cabbage, brussels sprouts and broccoli), planted a fresh planting of dill (so that I have blooming dill when I'm pickling later on). I'll plant more green beans for a second round this evening in the place where I pulled out all the greens that started to bolt. I'm expecting to harvest my spring cabbage very soon, so I may plant some more green beans there, too. I saw that I also had time (possibly) to get a winter squash planted (acorn-type), so added it to a front flower bed to try it out.

I also recently planted another planting of watermelon and luffa gourd (about 2 weeks ago).

I'm trying a perennial that is supposed to be a good substitute for tarragon (which I have had no luck growing) - Salad burnett (purchased seed from MIGardener.com).

My plans include using the space currently still occupied by the onions after I harvest them in the next month or so, as well as the first round of beans and cucumber (which are looking a little shabby). I also have some determinate tomatoes that will be giving up their space before long.

Future planting:
Radishes
Lettuces
Kale
Turnips (will direct sow in August)
Spinach
Rutabaga (will direct sow in August)
Carrots (end of July - will see if they germinate - might be too warm)
Fennel (end of August)
Garlic (September time frame)

My compost is still cooking, but I'm hoping it will be ready to use for adding amendment to the empty spots in beds before the next planting. The first batch is slowing down (only 110 degrees this morning after I turned it yesterday afternoon).

[Stwood]

We've never fall gardened before, but may do a small amount this year.
Mainly for the green tops that the piggies enjoy. Turnips and beets.
If we're not thrashed out from the main garden by then, we may try and do more carrots and radishes, something that we can never seem to get enough of.

[fritz_monroe]

I plan on doing a crop of green beans.  I hope to remember to get some garlic.  I also think the spaghetti squash and the pumpkins will still be growing.

[LvsChant]

We've never fall gardened before, but may do a small amount this year.
Mainly for the green tops that the piggies enjoy. Turnips and beets.
If we're not thrashed out from the main garden by then, we may try and do more carrots and radishes, something that we can never seem to get enough of.

sounds good. I may also try to get a fall crop on carrots. I know it is harder to get them to germinate in hot weather, so I'll do the "board on top" method and hope for a good result.

@Fritz: Cohutt has promised me some of his Creole Red garlic to try out in my region this year...

[fritz_monroe]

@Fritz: Cohutt has promised me some of his Creole Red garlic to try out in my region this year...

Nice.  When Cohutt was active here, we traded some seed onions.  I sent him multiplier onions, he sent me scallions.  Since I've been away from the garden for a number of years, I have not kept them growing.

[LvsChant]

He hasn't slowed down on his gardening -- indeed it is much larger scale now.

[surfivor]

By September or October the amount of sunlight has decreased quite a bit. After June 22 the light start a decreasing. That must have a negative effect on plants. I have never seen much rapid growth with fall plantings but my backyard is not 100% sun to begin with tho it gets a good amount. In the early to mid morning it has some shade

[LvsChant]

By September or October the amount of sunlight has decreased quite a bit. After June 22 the light start a decreasing. That must have a negative effect on plants. I have never seen much rapid growth with fall plantings but my backyard is not 100% sun to begin with tho it gets a good amount. In the early to mid morning it has some shade

You are a lot farther north, so you have to back up your planting by a few weeks... looks like first frost in Bar Harbor is October 11 (even sooner for places farther north), so you have at least ten fewer days than I do. It is probably a lot cooler up there, too, so you could probably plant some things now that would produce for you -- particularly the brassicas, I'm thinking. However, even green beans, and cucumbers could give you a second crop in that time. Definitely turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, broccoli, radishes... Also, your salad greens would probably do really great.

[CarbideAndIron]

We just moved to some property in March, and are getting our homestead up and running still. Only did some rhubarb, green beans, tomato, strawberry, spinach, romaine, and peppers for now.
We have a little greenhouse, and the garden. I was thinking of the fall stuff out in the garden should be things protected by the ground like turnips, carrots, potato, brussel sprouts, cauliflower.
Will the greenhouse buy us some more time to grow summer stuff further into the year? I realize this is probably a dumb question, but we've only done small raised beds before, and are new to a lot of gardening.
We are in western Washington.

[surfivor]

You are a lot farther north, so you have to back up your planting by a few weeks... looks like first frost in Bar Harbor is October 11 (even sooner for places farther north), so you have at least ten fewer days than I do. It is probably a lot cooler up there, too, so you could probably plant some things now that would produce for you -- particularly the brassicas, I'm thinking. However, even green beans, and cucumbers could give you a second crop in that time. Definitely turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, broccoli, radishes... Also, your salad greens would probably do really great.

 Alot of stuff doesn't get very big before the cold weather sets in. I think I have tried romaine. If you get any really hot weather in September, it won't germinate too well. In those few months like October, etc .. It doesn't seem to get a lot of growth in

[LvsChant]

We just moved to some property in March, and are getting our homestead up and running still. Only did some rhubarb, green beans, tomato, strawberry, spinach, romaine, and peppers for now.
We have a little greenhouse, and the garden. I was thinking of the fall stuff out in the garden should be things protected by the ground like turnips, carrots, potato, brussel sprouts, cauliflower.
Will the greenhouse buy us some more time to grow summer stuff further into the year? I realize this is probably a dumb question, but we've only done small raised beds before, and are new to a lot of gardening.
We are in western Washington.

I've never lived in your region, so I can't really answer for where you are, but it does seem reasonable to expect that you could extend your growing season with a greenhouse offering some protection as the cold weather appears. However, for many of us in more southern climes, it is just really hot in a greenhouse this time of year unless it is equipped with shade cloth and good ventilation. As you planning to plant in containers and move them in to the greenhouse before a frost?

I have a greenhouse planned for here, but I was really planning to use it more to get a jump start on the spring crops and also for growing things like greens in the winter (which should survive fine without heat, but with the protection it could get with a greenhouse).

[surfivor]

 I have a yurt small greenhouse but I didn't get enough out of it for me to get excited about it. It's not heated or anything. I have to set it up and it takes time. Probably I'm not serious enough about

[CarbideAndIron]

I've never lived in your region, so I can't really answer for where you are, but it does seem reasonable to expect that you could extend your growing season with a greenhouse offering some protection as the cold weather appears. However, for many of us in more southern climes, it is just really hot in a greenhouse this time of year unless it is equipped with shade cloth and good ventilation. As you planning to plant in containers and move them in to the greenhouse before a frost?

I have a greenhouse planned for here, but I was really planning to use it more to get a jump start on the spring crops and also for growing things like greens in the winter (which should survive fine without heat, but with the protection it could get with a greenhouse).

Well luckily western WA is really mild. Our summers don't get many days of real hot or cold. I was hoping to just put stuff that's more sensitive to the cold in there. I'd really love to get one of those avocado trees that are more cold hardy than the standard ones. I suppose I might as well just give it a shot.

[PorcupineKate]

Most of my fall garden has been planted already.
I generally plant throughout the summer as I find empty spaces in the garden.  Kale, basil, dill, bush beans, carrots, pac choi, and summer squash get planted every couple of weeks till mid July. 

 I planted bush beans mid July and carrots last week  I planted a couple of summer squash where the cat destroyed some seedlings so I should get a few summer squash from them before frost. Another round of dill was planted too.

I also planted some seed potatoes in June for a fall harvest.  My husband found some potatoes from last year I missed in my spring planting so I figured I would see what happens if I planted them in June for a fall harvest. They are shorter season determinate potatoes that I have been growing and saving for 5 years now.   I am hoping for less bug pressure than my April planting.  So far so good.

August 1st the spinach, snap peas, lettuce, arugula, basil and dill will all be planted. 

After that the only fall planting to be done is the garlic and walking onions in late September to early July.

We also use the fall to add or make changes to our raised beds.  It is far easier to do in the fall before the ground freezes.   

 

[bigbear]

I typically do a second planting of beans, broccoli, and cauliflower.  As it gets later, I'll throw in some carrots, peas, and lettuce/spinach/etc.

Planning on some walking onions and adding more asparagus this year too.

[LvsChant]

As the summer is progressing, summer production is way down and I've been pulling out non-productive stuff -- the butternut squash and yellow summer squash are gone, as well as the summer green beans (which were struggling with mexican beetle damage). All the carrots and onions are harvested and a new crop is going in.

The second planting of green beans is looking healthy and starting to get full of little bitty beans. My second cucumber planting has been yielding a fair amount of pickling cucumbers, but the cucumber beetles are still hitting it hard.

I have Opal Basil sprouting, as well as several different salad greens. Dill has re-seeded itself and is looking good. I'm still getting parsley, oregano, sage, thyme and my rosemary is looking very healthy, so I may dehydrate some of that as well, although I do have a good supply dried already. The fall carrots are up and starting to grow. I have lots of radishes sprouting already. I let some go to seed, so it has come up on its own. I still need to plant turnips, rutabagas and fennel...

I started some broccoli and cabbage in starter pots, but they don't look too good. I may try direct sowing in some of the garden empty spots and see how it fares. I'll plant those sad little seedlings, too and hope that something comes out.

My later planted watermelon looks like I may get a couple of melons before the frost... we shall see.

[Stwood]

Still to warm here to be sowing I think.
I did remove a sheet of black plastic I had over a row of grassed in leek that (transplant) didn't work out.
That sure kills everything out. I think there's 2 weed seeds that survived though...

I've got radishes and peas laid out to plant

[LvsChant]

Still to warm here to be sowing I think.
I did remove a sheet of black plastic I had over a row of grassed in leek that (transplant) didn't work out.
That sure kills everything out. I think there's 2 weed seeds that survived though...

I've got radishes and peas laid out to plant

I haven't tried fall peas... that's a good idea, too. I don't even think I have seeds... will have to remedy that.