Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

CORNUCOPIA

OF FALL VEGETABLE GARDENING TIPS

October 02, 2016

By Sandi Coleman/Victoria County Master Gardener

Edited by Charla Borchers Leon/Victoria County Master Gardener

Editor's note:  Master Gardeners often receive inquiries about what grows when in home gardens, and specifically what to do to successfully grow vegetables in a particular season.  So, we have gone to Victoria County Master Gardener Association's Vegetable Specialist Sandi Coleman to provide that information.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

An alternative to growing from seeds is to purchase and plant transplants. Shown here are purple cabbage Ruby Perfection variety transplants currently available at a local garden center/nursery.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JEAN KNOWLES/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

Various mature kale plants as well as ornamental cabbage are shown growing with other cool-weather vegetables in pots last fall. Various leafy plants are not only attractive in garden beds and pots but are also edible.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDNER

Kale is known for its nutritional value, but also is one of the more decorative fall plants. It is shown here available to be transplanted in a fall garden.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

The "Fall Direct Seeding Guide" suggests Oct. 1 as the time to plant broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi and potatoes. Shown here are broccoli transplants currently at a local garden center alternatively ready to go in the ground.

Fall is often a preferred time to be in the garden because it is cooler, and it means the holidays are forthcoming. I will share a few gardening tips for growing healthy vegetables.

Successful germination

A surefire way to have strong young seedlings is to grow them yourself. Use recommended vegetable varieties for your county or zone. How do you find the best variety for your county? Texas A&M Agrilife Extension horticulture has made a list of vegetables that are recommended for Victoria. This list is called the Vegetable Variety Selector and is available at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/veg_variety/select.php.

If you follow this list, you will get better results from your vegetables. Sow seeds of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and kohlrabi in shallow furrows covered with half an inch of soil. Keep soil moist until seedlings germinate.

It is important to get seeds up and growing while there is six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Your garden should face the south to maximize the use of the sun. The ideal size for a garden is no more than 4 feet across and as long as there is room. If children are going to be a part of your gardening, you might change the garden width to only 3 feet across. This allows your child to help in the weeding without walking in the growing area.

One of the most helpful things one can do is to keep a log of what you plant, when you plant it, how long until maturity and the maturity date. This will help you not forget when you planted and when the maturity date should be.

Think soil first

Fall gardening provides an opportunity to put great tasting food on your table, manage soil fertility and control weeds. If you have not done so, now is the time to remove any spring plants that are no longer producing. Weed before you plant any new seeds or transplants.

If you don't have a recent soil test, now would be a good time to take one. Soil test kits are available from the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, 528 Waco Circle, Victoria, or your own county extension office.

Mustard and turnips make great fall garden crops. They taste good, their broad leaves shade out weeds and they recycle nutrients back into the soil. Additionally, now is the time to enrich the soil with compost or aged (not fresh) manure. This will help to replenish micronutrients that will give plants a good, strong start.

The organic matter in soil can hold nitrogen. The space that was planted with beans or peas during the spring is a great place to grow spinach and cabbage. If you have some corn stubble left, think about putting in leafy greens (lettuce) that can find the left over nitrogen.

Watering fall garden plants

First rule of thumb is to keep them fall gardens soaked. It is especially important to keep your vegetable plants well watered. A good average to follow is an inch of water per week.

Using a drip irrigation system is the most efficient. It is timed to come on daily when the weather is extremely hot. Change the settings as needed as the temperature starts to decline. After seedlings or transplants are established, give them a good, deep watering once a week rather than light watering.

Go mad for mulch

Near the Victoria County landfill on Farm-to-Market Road 1686 toward Bloomington is Garden-Ville of Victoria where you can get mulch all year long. You have to bring a pickup truck or a trailer to load the mulch. I personally get my mulch there. Fall is not the usual time most gardeners think about mulch, but it is perfectly OK to mulch in this season. Use about 3 inches of mulch to control weeds and keep the soil moist. Find a source that works for you and go mad with your mulch.

Deploy defenses against garden pests

At the sign of the first pest, start your defenses. An easy way to nab bugs is with tape. Wrap the tape around your fingers, sticky side out. When bugs are sighted, just push the tape on them. This process captures the bug or bugs and then dispose of the tape with bugs attached.

Don't be afraid to squash any garden pest. I used to have trouble doing that, but not anymore after seeing the damage insects can do. One of the first things to try on insects is a good blast of water from your water hose. This will knock the insects off, and hopefully, drown them.

Some common crop insecticides are insecticidal soaps, bacillus thuringiensis (bt), spinosad and neem oil. Always use according to label directions.

Fall gardening is an excellent time to grow seasonal plants in a cooler environment. Get out and enjoy the (hopefully) cooler weather.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.