Fall -garden stock up time!

[LMonty]

Keep your eye open for deals at the stores now- they are closing out gardening supplies and equipment to make way for winter merchandise.

Now is a great time to get your supplies and seeds for most plants at a very good discount.

Most seeds are viable for several years if stored correctly: dry, in a cool or cold location, protected from insects and vermin.

potting soil and most chemicals and fertilizers are good for years.

the exception is those items containing living organisms, like b.thuringesis. those should be purchased fresh each spring.

I garden organically- but I do keep a small amount of chemical and concentrated fertilizers on hand in case i had to switch from hobby gardening to subsistence gardening and be deadly serious about it. a small selection of those items might be the difference between crop failure and success. now if I lose a crop it doesnt much matter- but then, it might be very serious.

never plant all your seed- have at least 3 years worth if possible. bad things do happen in the garden world, and you can lose the entire line of crops if you plant it all and cant get more soon. a late freeze, bad bug infestation-whatever, it can destroy your crop.

mix the varities of each crop- have three types of each if possible- not just for variety in prodction, but because one may produce when disease or infestation destroys the others. I have seed for about 6 kinds of green beans-differing varieties of both pole and bush; and three kinds of corn. see if the varieties are good for multiple uses- i like the bean varieties that are good as both green snap and dried. Corn, too- definitely important to mix the varieties for future seed viability. especially important for the basics calorie crops that you might depend on-remember the irish potato famine?

The message is diversify, diversify, diversify!

now is a great time to boost your seed and supply stock at a good price.

 

[Niko]

Re: Fall -garden stock up time!

LMonty,
Thanks for the reminder. I found this article that gives a good overview of fall gardening and suggested crops for fall:

Fall Vegetable Gardening
Grow cool-natured vegetables that like autumn as much as you do.

Stretching the Season - Vegetable Garden

Many vegetables like the cooler temperatures of fall.

Summer may be high season in the vegetable garden, but autumn also brings wonderful rewards. Fast-growing salad crops will revive the most bedraggled fall garden, and good care can keep sweet root crops and cabbage cousins growing for several weeks beyond the first frost.

The tips below will help you extend your vegetable season long beyond the heat of summer.

Crops for a Speedy Harvest

Radishes are a great fall
crop. If you don't have a
garden, grow them in pots.

Get a last blast from your veggie patch with quick crops that go from seed to table in 40 days or less. Sown in September, sprinters such as arugula, mustard, spinach, turnips, and crispy red radishes are ready to pick in little more than a month. Also try pretty Asian greens, such as tatsoi or mizuna, which grow so fast that you will have baby plants to add to stir-fries and soups only three weeks after sowing.

Perhaps you will plant in close company with beets, carrots, green onions, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cabbage cousins such a cauliflower and kohlrabi. Plant in late summer for fall harvest; in Zones 8-10, plant these crops as late as December. These vegetables can handle light frost, which actually makes them sweeter.

The hardiest fall vegetables -- spinach and kale -- often grow well into early winter. Thin crowded spinach to give the plants plenty of elbow room, and stop picking leaves when freezing weather arrives. When protected by a blanket of snow or a plastic tunnel, spinach often survives winter and produces a nice flush of sweet leaves first thing in spring.


Starting Fall Crops

Root crops, like kohlrabi
get sweeter as the days
grow cooler.

The spring crops that you start indoors can also be started that way for fall planting. Lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage can all be started indoors under lights in mid- to later-summer for transplanting to the garden. The benefit of this approach is that you avoid the high soil temperatures that can spell trouble for these cool-weather lovers.

Crops with a long growing season,
like broccoli and cauliflower,
benefit from an early start
indoors.

If you prefer to start seeds outdoors, water the site the day before you plant. Sow seeds in shallow furrows, and cover them with a sprinkling of potting soil, patted lightly into place. Then place a board, old blanket, or a piece of cardboard over the seeded spot for two days to keep it from drying out. Remove the cover, sprinkle with water, and you should see seedlings within 48 hours.

Short days usually slow new growth, so make every hour of sunshine count by drenching plants weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer. A good supply of ready-to-use nutrients helps make up for cool temperatures, which limit the availability of nitrogen in otherwise fertile soil. With a little luck, you'll have crisp, super-nutritious leaves and vegetables to enjoy all winter.


Great Crops for Fall

Growing fall vegetables in cold climates is a bit of a gamble, but well worth the effort most years. Even if you suffer an early frost, you can still enjoy a long harvest if you plant the right varieties and give them a bit of protection. The two lists below will help you plan a two-tier approach for maximum length of harvest.

Cool-Season Crops

A cold frame can allow you to
grow half-hardy vegetables
well into the winter.

All of the vegetables below are suitable for fall gardens. Some, like beets and carrots, may need to be harvested when very small (but still tasty). When shopping for seeds, select the earliest-maturing varieties available.

* Beets
* Broccoli
* Brussels sprouts
* Cabbage
* Carrots
* Cauliflower
* Collards
* Green onions
* Kale
* Leeks
* Leaf lettuce and assorted greens
* Mustard
* Peas
* Radishes
* Rutabagas
* Spinach
* Swiss chard
* Turnips


Vegetables That Will Survive a Frost

The varieties listed below will survive sub-zero temperatures if given some protection. During the first spell of cool weather, cover them with a blanket, cardboard box, or plastic tunnel. In Zones 8-9, where temperatures rarely dip below the mid-20s F., these vegetables will grow all winter. Dig beets, carrots, rutabagas, and turnips when the roots become plump and crisp; old plants left in the ground might develop unsightly cracks.

* Beets
* Broccoli
* Brussels sprouts
* Cabbage
* Carrots
* Collards
* Kale
* Kohlrabi
* Leeks
* Lettuce
* Mustard
* Rutabagas
* Swiss chard
* Turnips