Fall Garden Planting

For those gardeners that just can't get enough of gardening.

Fall garden planting is for those gardeners that just can't get enough of gardening or really like to have fresh vegetables as many month of the year as possible. No matter if you are planning for fall planting, spring garden planting or winter garden planting a good garden planting guide can found by doing research on the Internet or contacting the local soil conservation district or county agent.

Many planting zones offer the opportunity for fall gardens.  There are some vegetables that grow best in the fall and there are not as many insects to hinder the plants.  Central and South Arkansas (Zone seven) are great areas for a fall gardens. 

The time to start preparing is anytime you have an area of the garden that has been harvested.  Clean up the expended plants and if they are not infested with diseases put them in your home compost pile to be used next year.  Prepare the soil with minimum tilling to conserve moisture.  Add amendments, compost and fertilizers as needed.  If the previous plants were peas or beans chopping up the plants and tilling them back into the soil will add organic matter and adequate nitrogen to the soil for the next planting.  Add about 2 inches of compost and till into the top 2-3 inches of the beds.

For fall garden planting, home compost and organic matter is very important because normally there is very little rain in the late summer and early fall in most areas of the Southern States. The organic matter and home compost will help conserve what little moisture that is available.  If you have a source or can afford to water your fall garden it will be best to plan for watering.  If there are fall rains consider this a blessing. 

If you have a source for grass clippings and/or and leaves, you should use these to mulch, which will conserve moisture in the soil and cool the soil.  The amount of soil moisture in any garden is very important, especially in a fall garden.  Plants that don't get enough water will be stressed and will not produce.

Every plant in the garden has a time it needs to mature.  That is the time it takes for it to germinate, grow and produce.  If you are planning a vegetable that requires 60 days to produce or mature then you must plant early enough before the average killing frost to have a harvest.  If your first frost is normally Nov. 15th and the maturity time is 60 days you must plant on or before the first part of Sept. I would plan no later than Aug. 15th.  A good garden planting guide for the fall is to read seed packets for each plant and do good research on the Internet.

When planning for fall planting it is just the opposite of spring garden planting.  In the spring you need to know the latest frost date and in the fall you need to know the earliest frost date.  These dates can be found from the local soil conservation offices and talking with local gardeners.

No matter if you are doing fall garden planting or spring garden planting your best source for a good garden planting guide is research on the Internet, your local soil conservation district, county agent or just talking with local gardeners.