PREPARE FOR FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN

Do not count yourself out when it comes to planting a fall vegetable garden.  This past spring and summer has taken a toll on vegetable gardens.  The drought and heat put many vegetable gardens in harm’s way.  There are several things that will help you will have a successful fall garden.

Start with a plan

Putting a little thought into the selection of vegetable will allow you to properly space your vegetables and allow for better production.  Drawing a diagram on a seasonal basis will allow you to keep track of what vegetables were planted and where they were located in the garden.  Keep in mind that certain crops need to be rotated around the garden.  For example, tomatoes should be located in a location that was not used for tomato production last season.  Moving them around will decrease potential infestations of nematodes, bacterial and fungal problems.  Also, keeping additional detailed information about the crop will help you determine which vegetable did well in your situation.

Prepare your soil

Doing some preparation to the soil is a must.  Now would be a great time to add additional soil amendments to your garden.  Adding compost is a great addition that will help break up soil that has been dormant or lacks the proper texture and drainage.   Compost comes in many forms. Compost can be bought in the forms of cotton burr compost, composted manure or even in bulk form from the J.C. Elliot landfill. Whichever you choose, add at least 3-5 inches to the soil and till or work it into the soil.  By doing this, you will notice the soil structure change.  This will help your vegetable beds stay productive for seasons to come.

Vegetable Selection

Many varieties of vegetables can be purchased at local garden centers and nurseries every season.  Some good producing tomatoes are Celebrity, Tycoon and Better boy.  Of course there are others, it just depends on the type of tomato you want to grow.  There are large, medium and cherry varieties available.  To be successful, choose varieties that are listed for our area. A list of fall vegetable varieties that perform well in our area can be obtained from the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office.

Planting time

The best time to start planting is starting August 15th.  However, environmental factors can move that date around a little.  The last week in August and week in September will be a good time to start planting.  Keep in mind that these dates are general and can be altered.  In fact, there is a consideration that most vegetable gardeners can apply. We have always heard the saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket".  Well, there is common theory with vegetable gardening.  Every season I hear gardeners talk about having too many vegetables at one time.  Have you ever had so many tomatoes that you lose them to rot or simply are unable to give them away fast enough?  One thing that can be done is to stagger the planting dates of your vegetables.  For example, plant new plants in the garden on two week intervals.  Doing this will have several benefits.  First, the vegetable will be able to be harvested at different time frames and will prolong harvest throughout the season.  Secondly, vegetables prone to insect and fungal problems during a certain growth stage or environmental factor (wind, humidity, etc.) will not be as severely affected as others planted at different times.