Each year I have to wait for the passage of eight long months to finally get

to this, my favorite season.  As a youth, of course, the best was the

summer. School’s out. But as I now enter my sixth decade, summer has

fallen from grace, especially given the high temperatures of the last three

summers.

 

September brings with it cooler weather and a glorious new season for our

vegetable gardens and landscapes. As we saw earlier this week with the

arrival of the massive Tropical Storm Hermine, it can also be a time of rainfall.  

 

Many gardening friends agree that fall is the best season to plant. The

weather is cooling while the ground temperature remains warm. Root systems

get a great start with the warm ground while top growth has less stress from

cooler air temperatures.

 

For tomato and pepper plants that have lasted through the summer, flowers

should set and produce fruit. Organic granular fertilizers, top or side-

dressed, will give these crops a much-needed boost.

 

Now is the time to plant the fall veggies that thrive in the shorter days of

fall and winter. Favorites for gardeners are the Crucifers – cabbage,

cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kohlrabi. You can sow seeds

for  these varieties, or grow them from transplants.

 

Leafy winter greens also love the fall and winter seasons. Most popular in

Central Texas are arugula, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, beets

 and Swiss chard.

 

Let’s not forget lettuce. This leafy green comes in an array of colors and

leaf forms. Top of my list are romaine and red leaf lettuce such as Red Sails.

In our area, leafy varieties perform better than head lettuce.

 

Radishes are one of the easiest veggies to grow from seed. I love this crop

for its speed and flavor. You can harvest them within a few weeks of planting

 and then replant them throughout the cooler months of fall and winter.

 

Fall is also the perfect time for shallots. Started from bulbs,  shallots are a

 perennial that you can harvest, divide and replant throughout the year. They

 are often called ‘ever-bunching onions’ because of this.

 

 Early November will be the time to plant your garlic and Texas short-day

onions  Early November plantings of Texas 1015Y and Southern Belle Red

 will insure a large and successful harvest in mid-April.

 

The combination of cooler weather and rain always makes Fall the very

best time to grow. For a more in-depth look at fall gardening, please join us this

Sunday for Amanda's free lecture.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

 [© Chris Winslow 2010]  

 

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