I am attempting my first fall garden this year. I have never done this before as I always thought of gardening as being a spring and summer activity. As it turns out, practically every vegetable that will grow well in the spring will also grow well in the fall! I live in the Piedmont region of South Carolina so the recommended planting dates for my area may be different than yours. If you want to get the best planting dates for your area refer to your local extension office website. They are a wealth of knowledge about everything from how to deal with garden pests to preserving your harvest.
For the fall garden, I am planting beans, cucumbers, spinach, radishes, collards, and kale. I am using the square foot gardening method for the first time and so far it is awesome! the square foot gardening method works off the premise that instead of planting in rows, smaller spaces can be more productive by planting each crop in a one square foot plot of a raised bed garden. I mixed a special blend of gardening soil to use according to the recommendation of Mel Bartholomew the creator of square foot gardening. The soil mix consists of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite. This creates an ideal growing medium that retains plenty of water while maintaining good drainage. The vermiculite and peat moss help keep the soil loose and retain water while the compost provides all the nutrients.
Here are the beans sprouting five days after being planted
Here they are again after nine days
For the fall garden, I am planting beans, cucumbers, spinach, radishes, collards, and kale. I am using the square foot gardening method for the first time and so far it is awesome! the square foot gardening method works off the premise that instead of planting in rows, smaller spaces can be more productive by planting each crop in a one square foot plot of a raised bed garden. I mixed a special blend of gardening soil to use according to the recommendation of Mel Bartholomew the creator of square foot gardening. The soil mix consists of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite. This creates an ideal growing medium that retains plenty of water while maintaining good drainage. The vermiculite and peat moss help keep the soil loose and retain water while the compost provides all the nutrients.
Here are the beans sprouting five days after being planted
Here they are again after nine days
If you are also in the Piedmont region of South Carolina, here are the recommended planting dates for the vegetables I'm growing for the fall:
- Cucumbers - July 1-15
- Collards - July 1-August 30
- Pole Beans - July 15-25
- Kale - August 15-September 15
- Radishes - September 1-30
- Spinach - September 15-30
- Cucumbers - 2
- Collards - 4
- Pole Beans - 8
- Kale - 2
- Radishes - 16
- Spinach - 9
Those beans are doing awesome! I've got some kale, cabbage and broccoli in the ground right now but they're not doing so hot. I got a late start this year, but I will do better next time!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the best way to preserve radishes? I love them but I don't know how to make them last.