by Patty Leander
photos by Patty and Bruce Leander
Sometimes slicing is more efficient than pulling; these serrated sickles are super sharp and make quick work of weeds. Look for the sickles at local nurseries or home improvement stores.
We don’t know when it will get here, but we know it’s coming. I’m talking about fall – you know, that time of year when we can wave goodbye and good riddance to 100-degree days and can count on cooler temperatures, more generous and reliable rainfall, and fewer issues with pests and disease. And if we start planting now we can look forward to healthy, home-grown harvests for the holiday season.
It’s still hot. Stay hydrated with refreshing, infused waters.
September, October, and usually all of November, are frost-free in Central Texas, that’s 90 days of decent, mostly warm, growing weather for quick producers like beans, squash and cucumbers. It’s also a good time to get cool-season vegetables established so they can better withstand cold snaps. The one drawback to gardening this time of year is what we call the “fall factor;” growth that is slower, and yields that are lower, because we are moving towards cooler temperatures and less intense sunlight. Keep this in mind when planting your fall garden, and choose a location where vegetables will get full sun even as the days get shorter.
Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for September:
Mulch the garden and be sure to space transplants according to plant tags or catalog recommendation.
- Plant your favorite brassicas this month – they love fall weather. Cabbage and cauliflower produce a single head, broccoli produces a large head plus side shoots, and kale and collards will produce leaves all season long.
- Asian brassicas, such as Chinese cabbage, pac choi, tatsoi, and oriental mustards are easy to grow in fall and provide excellent yields of mild-flavored, leafy greens perfect for stir-fry and salads.
- Seed spinach and lettuce indoors this month for transplanting after the soil cools off.
- Place transplants in a sheltered spot outside for a few days to acclimate them to outdoor conditions before planting into the garden. Provide shade during the first couple of weeks in the garden.
- Plant wet-to-wet, meaning well-watered transplants should go into well-watered planting holes.
- Plant beets, radishes, turnips and carrots into moist soil (just after a soaking rain is ideal) and keep moist until seeds germinate. Once seeds have sprouted thin to the proper spacing according to guidelines provided on the seed packet.
- Fall is prime-time for cool season herbs including cilantro, dill, thyme, parsley, sage, chives, sorrel and oregano. Plant later in the month, giving them full sun and well-drained soil.
- Grow in containers. Fall vegetable plants are generally smaller in size than the fruiting crops we grow in spring and summer, which makes them ideal for growing in pots or containers.
- Plant a fall crop of sugar snap, snow peas and/or garden peas during the last two weeks of September. They are easy to grow, wonderfully delicious and versatile in the kitchen. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ and ‘Amish Snap’ can reach 6-7 feet and are best grown with support, but shorter varieties, such as ‘Cascadia,’ ‘Sugar Ann’ and ‘Avalanche’ grow only 24-30” tall.
- Be sure to check soaker hoses and drip lines for leaks, holes and secure connections.
- Mulch the garden to conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature, protect microbes and limit weed growth. Even if you are not growing anything this fall, a thick layer of mulch will help improve soil by the time spring planting rolls around.
- There will still be sweltering days ahead – stay hydrated while working in the heat. Water infused with fruits and herbs is my favorite way to drink up.
Asian brassicas provide a variety of mild-flavored, leafy greens all season long.
Plant ornamental Swiss chard in the vegetable garden, in containers, on a balcony or in the front landscape.
Plant a fall crop of sugar snap, snow peas and/or garden peas.
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