Time to Plant Fall Garden

Photo from underwoodgardens.com

I have to admit that I was a little heart broken when our Farmers’ Market closed for the season.  And even more heart broken when my summer garden stopped producing.  However, we are looking forward to harvesting the benefits of having a fall garden.  If you have not done so already, you need to be finishing up planting your fall garden by the end of this month.

Early August would be the time to make a last planting of bush beans, carrots, kale, collards, bibb lettuce, turnips and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.  Late August plantings can include mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens and leaf lettuce.

Before planting, remove any existing debris including crops and weeds to the compost bin and cultivate the soil.

If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may need to add little if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of planting area.

Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky during an “average” year.  A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly one-inch rain.

To learn more about fall gardening options, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Upcoming Ag Events
Aug 27th Rinse & Return, 1pm Sacramento CPS
Aug 29th    Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, 5pm MCHS
Sept 4th         Poultry Producers Meeting, 9am, Extension Office