by Mark Levisay
August is an excellent time to think about what you may be able to grow as the weather cools and days grow shorter. Many vegetables that you typically plant in spring, or even summer can be successfully grown into the autumn. In many ways this is just a continuation of succession planting by taking advantage of bed space that may now be available after harvesting summer crops.
Brassicas for fall harvest
Some potential fall crops are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale (brassica family). All of these will generally appreciate the cooler weather ahead, and Brussels sprout’s flavor will actually benefit from a little frost. These vegetables should soon be available as bedding plants at local garden centers. Buy healthy looking plants and check closely for cabbage worms or egg masses, as these pests are active in warm weather. I also highly recommend using a row cover to help prevent pest infestations, which will occur up until we have frost. If you want to start these plants from seed, start right away, as they won’t be ready to transplant into the garden for about six weeks.
Still time to plant seeds
Many other varieties of vegetables can simply be planted from seed into any space that becomes available in your garden. Some, like sugar snap peas, carrots or bush beans ought to go in pretty soon to assure a harvest before frost. Others like lettuce and spinach can wait until early September for planting, as they prefer cooler weather and mature quickly. Spinach is one of my favorite fall crops, as it will survive all winter, even without much protection. Early in the spring, as the days lengthen, it will burst into growth and provide you with fresh greens long before your spring planting of spinach is ready to harvest. Crops like collards and turnips are very tolerant of cold weather and may grow through our milder winters. Onions, garlic, shallots and leeks can be planted in the fall (from sets, or bulbs) and harvested in the spring. Onion sets available now should be “short day” varieties, as you’re expecting them to grow during the shortest days of the year.
Order larger quantities of seeds, like the beets above, for fall planting and save some for your spring crops.
Seed availability
One problem I’ve had in late summer is seed availability. Many seed companies collect unsold seeds from retailers in July, and you may have to search to find seeds if you don’t already have them. The Corner Store and Southern States should have some selection. You can also order seeds online from numerous seed companies and receive your seed orders in a reasonable time to plant. I usually try to order enough seed in the spring to take care of both spring/summer and fall planting. Many garden centers will have, if not now, soon the bedding plants or onion/garlic sets you’ll need.
A soaker hose makes it easier to provide the consistent watering that seedlings, like these green beans, need.
Tips for success
For most of your fall planting you’ll be planting in a space that has already had some type(s) of plants growing earlier in the year. It’s a good idea to completely remove all of the previous crop, and any weeds from that space, and add some fertilizer to replenish nutrients used by the previous crop. Plant seeds as you normally would, and water frequently until they germinate. Some of these plants may need extra watering if we go through another period of hot weather and drought. Use row covers to keep insect pests away from brassicas and consider covering some of your lettuce and spinach as a season extender. I’m going to experiment this fall with a covered bed of lettuce and spinach on the south side of my garage (warms well in the sun) to see how long I may be able to extend my harvest past our first frost.
With a little effort in August and September you’ll be harvesting fresh vegetables well into autumn! Feel free to e-mail me with any questions at marklevisay@gmail.com. Virginia cooperative extension’s website ext.vt.edu has excellent planting guides available to show you when to plant and harvest various vegetables. In our Charlottesville/Ruckersville area use climate zone 7a.