What to plant in the fall garden?

[DirtMechanic]

I know I will plant some winter squash. I have also never tried kohlrabi. Spinach is a given. This weekend is about as late as I dare plant to get anything significant grown by September. What are your favorites?

 

[Chuck]

Swiss chard, carrots

 

[DirtMechanic]

My carrots were wimpy last year. I did not think they would work. I planted the seed tape from Burpee, not knowing a variety. They formed normally, but were maybe 7 inches in length, and were a pale orange like they were a tender variety.

 

[Meadowlark]

Broc, Cauli, Cabbage, Brussels, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, and Turnips are my mainstays for fall/winter and of course Onion sets in Nov.

 

[Chuck]

My carrots were wimpy last year. I did not think they would work. I planted the seed tape from Burpee, not knowing a variety. They formed normally, but were maybe 7 inches in length, and were a pale orange like they were a tender variety.

Have you tried the Nantes type carrot?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Have you tried the Nantes type carrot?

No. I think I will try the "yaya".

 

[DirtMechanic]

Broc, Cauli, Cabbage, Brussels, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, and Turnips are my mainstays for fall/winter and of course Onion sets in Nov.

Tell me why my beets did not make last winter? Too much or too little of something? They were crowded and I did not thin them early but I did not think it would make such a dramatic failure as what I saw.

 

[Meadowlark]

Tell me why my beets did not make last winter? ....

Telling someone with a name DirtMechanic something about dirt for growing beets probably isn't productive for either of us, LOL.

However, One thing I would say is to only plant in cool months. I usually wait until the first 40 deg. norther to start mine and then they grow all winter. A second consideration might be spacing. Beets have to have good spacing or they just won't bulb. We usually eat the early thinnings in salads. Crowding just won't work.

Not much bothers beets.....occasionally a blight will show up here and also nematodes love them but that isn't a problem for my Elbon rye protected and never, ever sterilized soils.

My wife's favorite veggie from the garden. She loves them pickled.

 

[DirtMechanic]

LoL, maybe I will get my plantmechanic patch one day! I have nema, but did not really see that kind of activity, the roots looking like skinny little deflated balloons. I did plant when it was warm, but we do not even freeze until Dec, and I let the garden run until it was time for the spring tilling. I get a lot of shade when the sun moves to the winter pattern. Are they particularly needy about sunlight?

 

[Meadowlark]

Warm soil temps are difficult to start them in...usually start mine in Nov. and yes they like full sun but can tolerate a little less than full.