The Goodness Of An Autumn Garden

by: Liz Roberts

Usually it’s the summer that signifies gardens bursting with fruits and vegetables. Yet one planted in the late summer or early fall can give a bounty as well. You don’t need warm balmy weather to produce a cornucopia of home grown treats. There are several varieties of vegetables that will ripen in October and even early November. Don’t let your garden go to seed after August. You can use it again for more planting after the Labor Day holiday and beyond.

Before you plant your second wind of veggies, remember to clear the site of all weeds and previous vegetable plants. Turn the soil as well. Use a shovel, garden fork or tiller to till to a depth of at least eight inches. Spread a two to four inch layer of organic layer or mulch (garden clippings, aged manure and/or compost ) to this newly turned earth. This not only helps to maintain your soil’s organic matter but also helps build strong, healthy roots. It also improves drainage and retains moisture along with feeding the dirt powerful nutrients. A well mulched garden promotes vigorous and later on an abundant harvest.

As with a spring or summer gardens, you should do pH and calcium tests on the soil. If you have an acidic soil, you’ll need to add dolomitic lime (usually a crushed white mineral spread, rich in calcium magnesium carbonate). This raises the pH levels plus adding calcium and magnesium. Thoroughly mix this lime spread with organic matter and fertilizer. Again use your tiller or garden fork until it’s even distributed throughout the dirt. If you’re not gardening in raised beds, then form your soil into elevated rows about eight inches high and two feet wide. Create narrow walkways between for easy reaching and tending.

Once the soil is prepared you have to scour the garden for any pest infestations. Fall seems to be the time when most insects infest yards. Be on the lookout for white flies, stink bugs, aphids and caterpillars. White flies occur in groups on leaves’ undersides. Sadly enough they can’t be controlled with any available pesticide. You’ll have to remove infested plants to save others. White flies resemble maggots and can leave either a sticky honey like residue or a black sooty one. A relatively successful way of removing burgeoning colonies is to daily hose down plants . Also shiny surfaces tend to repel them so spread either shiny mulches or put up small sheets of aluminum foil around the garden. Sticky traps will help ensnare them while and some insecticide oils and soaps also help repel them.

The other fall garden pest, the stink bug is one that will bore holes into ripened fruit. it will also attack beans, corn, peas and okra. It can also attack seeds and destroy them You can kill stink bugs off with insecticides along with unleashing their enemy, the parasitic wasp on them. Parasitic wasps are part of the landscape and they can control any stink bug population. Aphids and caterpillars are common problems for the autumn gardener. TAphids seem to veer towards pumpkins, beets potatoes and Swiss chard. Aphid populations increase during the fall months. Infestations can not only cause leaf and stem damage but transmitted viruses from other plants. You can use a soap spray to kill them off using just simple dish soap and water ( mix three tablespoons liquid soap to one gallon of water), pour into a sprayer and sptitz plants. The soap will not harm any of the stems, leaves or even fruit. Aphids hate hot pepper and garlic so you can also make an effective spray using three to four cut up hot peppers, one to two cloves of chopped garlic and one quart of water. Pour this into a blender, put on puree and then pour into a spray bottle. Again, this mixture will not hurt any of your plants . Another anti-aphid trick is to plant basil amongst your vegetables since the aroma repels them. Some gardeners plant angelica and morning glory which attracts ladybugs – the aphid’s natural enemy. You can also buy ladybugs through organic gardening centers. Start with about one hundred ladybugs per 1,000 square feet. Let them loose in the evening so they can have dew to drink. Caterpillars are another large insect problem in the garden. They will literally devour a whole plot, feasting on leaves and stems. You can get rid of them by hand picking them off your plants (if you're not too squeamish that is). If the infestation is really bad, then turn to insecticides for help. Any kind will do the trick. You can also make your own using cigarette butts and water. Ferment the butts and water in a container for a few days and then spray on the plants. The nicotine(a deadly poison) will kill them and any larvae but will not harm the plants.

Once you’ve cleared the your garden and made sure it’s pest free, you can now plant. The question is what. Tomatoes are a good choice for those living in the Southern states. Try the Heatwave, Hawaiian Hybrid, Bingo , Whirlaway Celebrity or Solar Set. You can plant a couple of each to vary your garden. Another fall producer is the broccoli. It can even produce well past Thanksgiving up to Christmas that is a bonus for your holiday tables. Snap and lima beans are good (and highly nutritious) choices as well. In fact fall planted snap beans plants often yield a bigger harvest than ones planted in the spring. They are also the easiest and the most reliable. Wait until late August or early September to plant them. They will fruit during the cooler months. Any of the cole or cabbage plant make excellent fall garden additions. You can also plant squash turnips and mustard greens as well as Brussels sprouts.

Remember when planting any of these to include the Frost Tender Factor for crops that are frost sensitive. Plants that have this are corn, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash. This factor takes into account the slower growth that occurs from cooler weather and shorter days. Presprout plants to protect the from this happening. You can sprout your seeds indoors, allowing them to grow up to an inch in length. Water well until they break through the soil and are ready for transplanting. Again be very very careful when planting them or there will be severe damage.

The fall is the perfect time to grow vegetables. You can still have healthy plants and abundant harvests. Just protect your crops from insects and frosts. You’ll have a green garden even though there’s a nip in the air and the leaves are turning color.