The “cool front” that came through this week was just enough to bring back distant memories of pleasant weather and renew hope for the cooler temperatures of fall. And that gets me excited for fall vegetable gardening!
August is the time to start thinking about getting the vegetable garden ready for a fall planting. If you are new to Texas or just new to gardening, fall is one of the best times of year to grow vegetables. The temperatures cool off enough for good pollination and fruit set, and we usually get more rain in the fall.
We have a great planting that tells you what to plant month-by-month, and the planting season gets into full swing at the end of August through October. The trick is to start with the average freeze date in late
November and work backwards to your planting date. For example, many green bean varieties take 50-60 days from planting to harvest, so we want to plant at least that long before the freeze date with some extra time to get plenty of harvest. We recommend planting green beans mid-August through mid-September for a good crop.
Good crops for fall vegetables include Asian greens, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, chard, and collards. You can also plant garlic, cool season greens, kale, lettuce, spinach, radish, shallots, and turnips. Many of these vegetables do well with succession planting when you plant a little at a time every two or three weeks to spread out your harvest. This is great for lettuce and other greens so you can have salad for a longer time, rather than all at once.
Prepare your beds by working in a few inches of compost. I highly recommend installing drip irrigation to water your vegetables. Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water vegetables, and it keeps water from splashing up on plant leaves where it can cause disease issues.
Make sure vegetable transplants like broccoli or cabbage have plenty of water to get established in our late summer heat. The small transplants need at least two weeks to get a root system established in the ground, and you might need to water every day to support the plant until it’s established. Use a moisture meter or just stick your finger in the ground to see if the soil is moist at the root zone.
The Williamson County AgriLife Extension Service & Master Gardener Volunteers will be hosting a Fall Landscape Symposium on October 21 at the Leander Activity Center. We will have speakers about fall gardening, fruit trees, roses, bulbs, lawn care, and trees. Join us to learn more about how to care for your home garden and landscape. Register at https://williamson.agrilife.org/program-registration/.
