EXTENSION: Time to plant your fall garden

Sep. 7—As the summer warmth begins to wane, you don't have to bid farewell to the joys of cultivating your garden. This time between seasons offers a golden opportunity to plant a vibrant fall vegetable garden, promising an uninterrupted flow of produce throughout autumn. Alternating balmy days and brisk nights support a variety of cool-season vegetables for your family to enjoy.

Some of the best quality vegetables are produced during fall's warm days and cool nights. These environmental conditions add sugar to late-season sweet corn and cole crops, such as cauliflower and cabbage, and add crispness to carrots.

Fall vegetables harvested after early September consist of two types: the last succession plantings of warm-season crops, such as corn and bush beans, and cool-season crops that grow well during the cool fall days and withstand frost.

When planting a fall garden, group crops the same way you would in the spring; plant so taller plants don't shade out shorter ones. To encourage good germination, fill each seed furrow with water and let it soak in. Keep the soil moist until seeds have germinated. Be aware that cool nights slow growth, so plants take longer to mature in the fall than in the summer.

You may use polyethylene row covers to extend the growing season of frost-sensitive crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. This helps trap heat from the soil and protect the crop from chilly night temperatures.

Often Kentucky experiences a period of mild weather after the first killing frost. If you protect frost-sensitive vegetables at critical times in the fall, you could extend the harvest season by several weeks.

Once these vegetables die due to lower temperatures, you may be able to plant cool-season crops in their place. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach may grow into November or December under polyethylene row covers if outside temperatures do not drop below the teens. Be sure to allow for ventilation on sunny days to prevent overheating.

You may successfully seed or transplant the following vegetables now for fall harvest: beets, Bibb lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, endive, leaf lettuce, kale, mustard greens, spinach, snow peas and turnips.

For more information about horticultural topics or classes near you, contact the Laurel County Cooperative Extension Service.

Source: Rick Durham, UK extension horticulture specialist