Fall Garden

About the middle of July, I started to plan my fall and winter gardens. I decided which plants I would like to have, and purchased seeds. I generally prefer purchasing seeds to plants. I consulted 4 very helpful sources; Texas A&M website (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu), our County Extension agent Skip Richter, Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening by Garrett and Beck, and Gardening Guide for Austin and Vicinity produced by the Travis County Master Gardener Association. I studied the information and made a list of the vegetables with planting dates suggested by the sources. I then made a potential planting guide for me to follow. I then waited for the weather of daily high temperatures over 100 degrees to change. To this date, it has not changed. We have now logged over 65 days of 100 plus degree weather this year.

I have planted my fall garden, but scaled back the amount of each vegetables planted. I define the Fall Garden as the plants which will die when it freezes. If they are not in the ground by a certain time, then they will not have time to produce fruit before it freezes. Our average first freeze date is November 16. So, I started tomato and cucumber seeds in pots the middle of July and set them out August 1. By August 15, I had planted Green Beans, Yellow Wax Beans, and Butternut Squash. For each of these vegetables, I have only one row.

The Swiss Chard pictured was direct seeded the middle of July. Chard is such a hardy and delicious plant. I planted it in a row which gets more shade than some others. It has survived the heat as a seedling and will surely survive the winter.

By September 1, I plan to direct seed Kohlrabi. I will start in pots Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Parade Onions, and Chinese Cabbage.

By September 15, I plan to direct seed more Chard, plus Lettuce, Parsley, and Mustard,

By October 1, Radish, Beets, Collards, and Dill are scheduled.

On October 15, I plan to plant Garlic, Onion seeds, Carrots, and Turnips.

November 1, I should be planting Spinach, and finally Radishes.

Of course, this is all subject to change!