With the recent rains, cooler weather, and the arrival of the first official

day of fall last Sunday, I am so happy to declare that my favorite garden-

ing time of the year has arrived.

 

Cooler weather means gardening can be fun once again. With the ground

moist, now is the time to plant those fall crops.

 

The wise horticultural folks over at Texas A&M list the following vege-

tables that are now in season to plant. (The list is long.)

 

The Brassica family includes quite a few of our fall favorites – cabbage

(purple and green), cauliflower (white, cheddar, or purple), broccoli,

Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collards, mustard greens, turnips, and the

ever more popular kales (red winterbor, green winterbor, dinosaur, and

toscana). 

 

Other popular fall plantings are spinach, radish, beets, lettuce, carrots,

and sweet peas (snow, snap and English).

 

From the onion family, we can plant shallots, multiplying onions, and

garlic. Our short-day Texas onions – 1015y super sweet – come a

month later.

 

You can also plant mixed salad greens such as arugula, endive, radic-

chio, and mizuna from seed.

 

Raised bed gardening works well for fall planting. Our favorite size is

4’ x 4’ with 6 to 8 inch sides. Fill with a good garden blend (25% peat,

25% vermiculite or perlite, and 50% compost) and a slow release

organic garden fertilizer with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae. This

will give your plants a great start. Supplemental feedings with organic

liquid feeds can help grow fantastic vegetables.

 

If you don’t have the space for a raised bed, all of the fall vegetables

can be raised in containers. Try mixing different varieties of lettuce in

one pot. One of my favorites is red sails. This variety turns brilliant red

in the sun. It’s tasty too.

 

Another great edible ornamental is giant red mustard. Brilliant red in

the sun with a strong wasabi flavor.

 

Experiment and have fun. Get outside, listen to the birds, and soak up

some fresh air and sunshine.       Happy Gardening Everyone!