Is there anyone here who has a successful fall garden? How about sharing tips for fall gardening? Please give your Zone and some tips.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit farm (littleBit@compworldnet.com), September 12, 2001

Answers

Here in Colorado, we are still working with the spring garden, but as a long time Texan(zone 7 or 8), planted many fall gardens. Down there, the fall crops were chiefly cole(broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc), and root(carrots, beet, radish, onion, turnip, etc.), also spinach, and strawberries. My dad also plants collards--don't know what that's classified as. The trick for us was to watch the storms coming into the Gulf(a big storm hitting the coast might bring several days of rain.) With our heavy clay soil, those teeny tiny seeds required several moist days in a row to emerge...Our falls and winters were relatively mild, and it never got cold enough to kill these crops.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), September 12, 2001.

Hello Little Bit Farm, We planted our fall garden on the south slope of our land. Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Turnip Greens. No secret technique, just read the Department of Ag's report for fall gardening in southern Missouri. We tried Broccoli and corn but, the corn seeds were too old to germinate and Broccoli had to be planted in the greenhouse and the plants transplanted by Aug to produce in time for winter. But, next year....... Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), September 13, 2001.

I actually enjoy the fall preparation of the garden more than the actual gardening! We do, however put in garlic in the fall and cover with about 6-8" of straw.

In the fall,I either plant a green manure or work in the waste from the goat's barn and/or leaves and grass clippings. I try not to plant the green manures, like rye, wheat or vetch too early because it can end up being too long by the time I can work the soil in the spring...all this does is delay the time of my spring planting. But fall is the time to enrich the soil for next year's garden...abundant leaves mixed with the final grass clippings can make for a great compost heap or sheet composting right in the garden. I love this time of year and the results you can see in the spring from all the preparation.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), September 13, 2001.

I like to plant "rape" this time of year for delicious greens for the table and also as a wonderful ground cover to prevent nemotodes.i would like to know more about how to grow red onions in this section of eastern North Carolina.

-- ella wallace (ewallace @hotmail.com), October 24, 2003.