Now’s the time: Here’s how to plan for a fall vegetable garden

Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about planting a fall vegetable garden.

Cooler nights and shorter days are the triggers that get our fall crops growing, so late August and early September is the ideal time to make it happen. There are several factors that go into having a successful fall garden. Here are some of my thoughts.

Timing. It is important not to wait too late to plant. Once our soils get cold, plants will slow down and stop growing, so getting an early start is important. As you harvest your summer crops and spaces open up, fill them with some fall varieties.

Location. Make sure your garden will be in full winter sun. I realize the term “winter sun” is a bit of an oxymoron, but as the sun moves south for the winter, it will cast a longer shadow over the garden. Do what you can to maximize the available light.

Soil prep. Vegetables can take a lot out of the soil. Before you plant, be sure to replenish the ground with organic fertilizers and compost. Find a veggie compost and a raised bed mix that are full of nutrients and micro-organisms ready to incorporate into the beds. I like to add some additional veggie fertilizer and as a real treat, a few handfuls of earth worm castings and some lime. All of these amendments will get your plants off to a very good start. Don’t skimp or you will be disappointed with the results.

Seeds versus transplants. For some reason, garden purists seem to think they have to start everything from seed. That’s completely fine — but it takes a whole lot more planning. For me, I am more than happy to let other growers start my veggies at the appropriate time, and I will plant the transplants when the time is right. Neither technique is either right nor wrong; it is just a matter of preference.

Winter protection. This is the real trick with fall gardens. We have had years where the first killing frost didn’t happen until December, and other years where it occurred the first week of November. While a light frost won’t hurt our veggies, a good hard killing frost (mid to low 20s) will damage leaf crops and generally slow everything down.

Some form of frost protection will go a long way to extending the season. A “frost blanket” is an inexpensive item that can be purchased at most garden centers and, when applied over the top of a crop, will add at least 5 degrees of protection. It is a lightweight fabric that is permeable, so both water and air can pass through it.

I don’t recommend using plastic unless that is all you have. Just be sure to remove it as soon as possible. You can also create temporary structures called cloches out of PVC pipes and cover them with a clear plastic that will capture the heat from the sun, keeping things growing nicely. Be sure to keep the ends open on the cloche to let air pass through (you can close them at night). Don’t forget that you will have to water inside the cloche, since the plastic cover will deflect the rain.

Growing a fall crop of veggies is largely a race against time. While we have no control over what Mother Nature will throw at us, if we plant early, prepare our soil and have some frost protection at the ready, we should be able to expect a reasonable return on our efforts.

It’s really no different than when we plant a cool season crop in the spring, hoping to get it growing and harvested before it gets too hot. If you were successful in the spring, then you should be successful in the fall. And if not, what’s the harm in trying anyway? What have you got to lose?

Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

Plant these crops now

New vegetable seeds and transplants are now in stock at garden centers. Several veggies are easy to grow from seed, while others mature faster when they are grown from tranpslants. Here is a list of planting recommendations.

■ Arugula, cilantro, lettuce, radishes, spinach and mustards can be planted from seed or transplant, except for radishes. Harvest them this season.

■ Beets, endive, fava beans, garlic, long season cabbage and carrots, shallots and snow peas can be planted now for a spring or early-summer harvest.

■ These vegetables are easy to grow from transplants: beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, green onions, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, peas, spinach and Swiss chard. Harvest them in about two months.

It’s veggie time

Attend a free class all about growing fall vegetables at 10 a.m. Aug. 26 at Sunnyside Nursery, 3915 Sunnyside Blvd, Marysville. For more information or to sign up, visit www.sunnysidenursery.net.