Fall is a great season for planting and harvesting fresh local produce. I did a Fall Planting Virtual Class Webinar recently that has all the details. Here is an update on where we are right this mintue and what you can still plant for a later harvest. The one month shows an average chance for temperature or precipitation away from normal.
One month climate predictions for September
I also use the three month climate predictions when I do my planning. It shows that we have a decent chance of some warmer weather deeper into fall. That will be great for a longer harvest of both summer and fall season vegetables.
Three month climate predictions through November
So what can you still plant? Lots of stuff, especially if you can do some season extension. Remeber seeds are cheap, vegetables cost money.
Do you have a seed start station? Then you can start transplants indoors to get them ready for fall planting later when you have space open up. Want to learn more about seed starting? Check out Growing Franklin for a Seed Starting Video or a Seed Starting Virtual Class Webinar. (or both!).
I will be starting lettuce and bok choi every 2-3 weeks under the lights for transplants out in my community garden and container garden.
My fall growing is more in my container garden. Container gardening really exploded in popularity this year as more people wanted to get into growing. I love my container garden and it is my primary garden starting in fall as my community garden gets mowed on November 1st.
L to R: Bok Choi seedlings, last planting of basil, a dozen heads of Salanova lettuce that will be harvested in rotation to allow the rest to expand and last about 2-3 weeks of lettuce.
Want to get a container garden started for fall growing, Check out No Garden, No Problem – Container Gardening Website Post as well as Container Gardening Virtual Class Webinar for all the details on getting your container garden up an going this fall.
While it is too late to start broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage from seed, contact your local nursery or greenhouse to see if they have some for sale. I started these cauliflower seedlings around August 1st and transplanted them next week for a fall harvest.
So what can you still plant outside? There are lots of choices, especially if you can season extend with row cover. All these can go in direct seeded in your garden right now.
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Turnips
- Leaf brassicas like kale, collards, mustards and bok choi
- Arugula
- Green onions
- Carrots
- Beets
Row cover is a spun fabric that is permeable to air and water. It provides frost protection to allow a crop to grow longer in cool weather.
What about spinach? Looking at the soil temps it is a little too warm this minute to plant spinach, They like cool soil temps for good germination. You can try a little bit for a later harvest but spinach is really cold tolerant. I will wait until later.
Once we get closer to October 1st I will get planting on my Overwintered Spinach Under Row Covers. Do not forget to continue to harvest and manage your current crops! We have weeks of great growing weather ahead.
CLICK HERE to check out the NOAA Climate Prediction website.
