Rev 4/94Purdue University Cooperative Extension ServicePage 1 of 2Vegetables • HO-66
Department of Horticulture
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service West Lafayette, IN
Fall, when the gardener can take advantage of coolertemperatures and more plentiful moisture, is an excellenttime to grow many vegetable crops in Indiana. Manyspring-planted crops such as lettuce and spinach tend tobolt, or produce seed, and become bitter in response tothe long, hot summer days. Fall gardening helps extendyour gardening season so that you can continue toharvest produce after earlier crops have faded.Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brusselssprouts are better adapted to fall gardening, since theyproduce best quality and flavor when they can matureduring cooler weather. In Indiana, spring tends to heatup rather quickly. For many crops, insect and diseasepests are not as much of a problem in fall plantings.Many vegetable crops are well adapted to planting in latesummer for a fall harvest. Use fast-maturing cultivarswhenever possible to ensure a harvest before killing frostoccurs. Table 1 indicates the last feasible planting datesfor late summer plantings using average maturing ratesfor short season cultivars. For more precise plantingschedules, consult Figure 1 to determine the averagedate of first killing frost for your area. Then count back-wards from the frost date, using the number of days tomaturity for the cultivars you want to grow to determinethe last feasible planting date.Keep the fall garden in mind while planning and orderingyour spring garden seeds and plants. Seeds of thecultivars you want may be out of stock by late summer.You may need to raise your own transplants; some localgarden centers do not carry vegetable plants for fallgardens.
Planting
Remove all previous crop residues and any weed growth.Completely prepare the soil by rototilling or spading atleast 6-8 inches deep. If spring crops were heavilyfertilized, then no additional fertilization may be needed.However, 1-2 pounds of a general analysis fertilizer, suchas 12-12-12, may be applied per 100 square feet of bedarea. Be sure to thoroughly mix the fertilizer with the soil.Some gardeners prefer to sidedress the plants with 1pound of 10-10-10 per 25-30 feet of row placed 6-12inches from the plants. Apply the sidedressing 2-3weeks after germination if plants appear to be growingslowly.Late summer plantings often suffer from hot soil and alack of water. Soils may form a hard crust over the seedswhich can interfere with seed germination, particularly inheavy soils. Use a light mulch of vermiculite, compost, orpotting soil over the seed row to prevent a crust fromforming. Seeds of lettuce, peas, and spinach will notgerminate well as soil temperature reaches 85
°
F andabove. Shading the soil and using a light mulch over theseed row will help keep the temperature more favorablefor germination. Planting the seeds slightly deeper thanspring plantings may also be beneficial, since tempera-tures will be slightly cooler and moisture more plentiful.Do not allow seedlings and young transplants to dry outexcessively. Apply 1 inch of water in a single applicationeach week to thoroughly moisten the soil. Young seed-lings may need to be watered more often during the firstweek or two of growth. Young transplants may benefitfrom light shade for the first few days until their new rootsbecome established.
Frost Protection
Some vegetables that are already growing in the gardenwill continue to produce well into the fall, but are dam-aged by even a light frost. Some crops are consideredsemi-hardy and will withstand a light frost without protec-tion. Others are hardy enough to withstand several hardfrosts. Many common vegetables are listed in Table 2according to their frost tolerance.You can extend the fall growing season for tender cropsby protecting them through early light frosts. Indianaoften enjoys several more weeks of good growingweather after the first frost. Cover growing beds withblankets or throw-cloths supported by stakes or wire toprevent mechanical injury to the plants. Individual plantscan be protected with such items as paper caps, milk jugs, plastic water-holding walls, and other commerciallyavailable products. The season can be extended evenfurther by planting crops in a coldframe or hotbed.
THE FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN
B. Rosie Lerner
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