Even if it doesn’t feel like it, it’s time to start thinking about your fall garden.
Many cabbage varieties – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, mustard and beets – grow in autumn.
One of the easiest and most nutritious vegetables to grow, these vegetables are high in vitamin C, potassium, beta-carotene, and fiber.
In addition to vegetables from the Brassica family, tomatoes, peppers, okra, and eggplants can also bring in another harvest in the fall before temperatures get too low.
Artichokes, carrots, and spinach can also be grown in fall and winter.
With so many options, it’s time to get started planning – and planting.
Vegetables are powerful fertilizers, so apply a complete fertilizer such as 13-13-13 in the amount recommended on the label before planting. An additional side fertilizer with ammonium or calcium nitrate provides enough nitrogen to increase higher yields. Side-dress broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower three to four weeks after transplant, and side-dress greens three to four weeks after transplant. Dress sideways a few inches from the stems of the plants and pour fertilizer to prevent the plants from burning.
Broccoli can be planted from September to October for harvest in November to December and again from January to February. You can start now with seeds to produce grafts that will be ready to go into the ground or garden beds in five to six weeks. Space grafts 9 to 12 inches for smaller broccoli heads and 16 to 18 inches for larger heads. Some recommended varieties are Packman, Diplomat, and Decathlon. You can also try raab, also known as rabe or rapini, which resembles small broccoli heads and has a nutty flavor.
Cauliflower can also be planted in September and October for harvest in November and December. You can also plant in January and February to harvest from March to May. Plant seeds now to produce grafts in five to six weeks. Place plants spaced 10 to 12 inches apart for 3 to 4 pound heads or 16 to 18 inches for larger 5 to 7 pound heads. The vegetable specialist Kiki Fontenot from LSU AgCenter recommends varieties such as Snow Crown, Cumberland, Candid Charm and Colored Mix.
Cabbage should be planted between September and early March, but skip December and January. The heads can be harvested from November to April. Seat at 10 to 12 inches for 3 to 4 pound heads and 16 to 18 inches for 5 to 7 pound heads. Cabbage heads should be firm like a softball when harvested. Some recommended varieties are Blue Vantage, Bravo, Rio Verde, and Salad Delight (red). Copenhagen, Flat Dutch and Early Season are best for smaller home gardens.
Carrots can be planted in late August through early October for a November through March harvest, and you can replant in January through February for an April through May harvest. You can sow carrots directly into the ground and thin them to 1 to 5 inches between plants. Loosen the soil and sprinkle the seeds on it, tamp the seeds and water them. Some recommended strains are Purple Haze (purple), Danvers 126 (open pollinated), Apache and Choctaw (both hybrids).
If you’re a first-time vegetable gardener and are afraid of diving right in, Fontenot recommends trying vegetables. These are some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and you can get multiple harvests from the same plant.
Plant September through November for a quick harvest September through February and again January through early May for spring through early summer harvest. No-till and place 3 to 6 inches apart. Recommended mustards are tender green (heat tolerant) and golden frills. For beet greens, try Royal Crown, Tokyo, and Scarlet Queen Red Stems. If your preference is for cabbage, go for the Georgia Southern, Champion, and Top Bunch varieties.
Garlic can also be planted from September to October for harvest from May to June. Garlic takes nine months in the garden. If you notice the leaves turning yellow and falling, you can gently harvest by lifting them up with a garden fork. Store in a dry place for five to seven days. Be sure to plant cloves of garlic 2 to 3 inches deep with the bottom down. Some recommended types are elephant, creole, and Italian garlic.
Spinach can be planted from October to early December for harvest in November to April. Soak the seeds overnight for better germination before planting them 1 to 5 cm apart. Some recommended strains are Melody, Ballet, and Tigercat. You can typically get up to three harvests from one plant per season.
Artichokes can be planted from late October to mid-November for a harvest the following spring. It takes 12 weeks from seed to transplant, so it’s best to find grafts at local nurseries. Hold 3 to 4 inches apart and harvest when the buds are 3 to 4 inches in diameter and the bracts are firm.
Irish potatoes can be planted with small whole potatoes. Do not use pieces of seeds as they are more prone to hot temperatures and humidity that promote fungal diseases.
