Kevin Starr
FALL
VEGETABLE GARDENS
Many vegetables are well adapted
to planting in the summer for
fall harvest. Planting a fall
garden will extend the gardening
season so you can continue to
harvest fresh produce after
earlier crops have finished.
Many cool-season vegetables, such
as broccoli, produce their best
flavor and quality when they
mature during cool weather. In
North Carolina, the spring
temperatures often heat up
quickly. Vegetables, such as
lettuce and spinach, tend to bolt
or develop bitter flavor when
they mature during hot summer
weather.
Growing a productive fall
vegetable garden requires
thoughtful planning and good
cultural practices. In our area,
the first half of August is a
good time to plant a lot of late
vegetables. You can delay the
planting of quicker growing crops
such as turnips and leafy greens
until the first of September.
Before preparing the soil for a
fall garden, you must decide what
to do with the remains of the
spring garden. In most cases, the
decision is not difficult because
the cool-season crops have
already matured and the
warm-season vegetables are
beginning to look ragged. Remove
the previous crop residue and any
weed growth. Prepare the soil by
tilling or spading to a depth of
at least 6 to 8 inches.
If the spring crops were heavily
fertilized, you may not need to
make an initial pre-plant
fertilization. Otherwise, 1 to 2
lb of a complete fertilizer such
as 10-10-10 may be applied per
100 ft2 of bed space. Thoroughly
incorporate the fertilizer.
Direct seeding (planting seeds
rather than using transplants)
for crops such as broccoli,
cabbage, and collards is often
used in the fall. However, the
success of this planting method
depends on having adequate
moisture available to keep the
young seedlings actively growing
after germination. If you do not
have an irrigation source
available, you would be wise to
buy vegetable transplants from a
local garden center.
Seeds should be planted deeper in
the fall because the moisture
level is lower in the soil and
the surface temperature is
higher. In many cases, the
planting depth may be 1 1/2 to 2
times as deep as for spring
planting of the same crop. Soils
may form a hard crust over the
seeds which can interfere with
seed germination, particularly in
heavy clay soil. Seeds of lettuce
and spinach will not germinate if
the soil temperature exceeds 85 o
F. You may need to cover the
seeded area with burlap cloth,
newspapers, or boards to keep the
soil cool and moist. Shading the
soil or using a light mulch over
the seed row will help keep the
temperatures more favorable for
germination. The shading material
must be removed as soon as the
seeds begin to germinate.
Most vegetables require 1 inch of
water per week. It's best to make
a single watering that penetrates
deeply rather than frequent
shallow applications. Young
seedlings and germinating seeds
may need more frequent, light
waterings. Do not allow seedlings
to dry out excessively. New
transplants may also benefit from
frequent light waterings until
they develop new roots.
If you have questions about fall
vegetable gardens, don’t
hesitate to contact us at
704-736-8452.
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