Hello Homestead interviews Garland about planting fall vegetable gardens
Hello Homestead, an offshoot of the Bangor Daily News, interviewed Kate Garland, a horticultural professional with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for an article about how to plant a fall vegetable garden. Fall gardens can supply fresh produce late in the season, and cool temperatures in late summer and fall can add sweetness to some vegetables as they mature, the article states. “We need to rethink the crops we traditionally plant at the end of May and consider planting them midsummer instead,” said Garland. Good fall crops include vegetables that germinate and grow well in midsummer conditions, vegetables that mature quickly and vegetables that are cold hardy, the article states. When to plant fall crops depends on how long it takes for the plant to mature, and on the predicted first frost date. To determine this, Garland recommends resources that base their predictions on past data, like “The Old Farmer’s Almanac,” which uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since soil conditions are drier in summer than spring, gardeners might consider planting seeds a little deeper into the soil where moisture lasts longer. “You’re ensuring your seeds are going to stay moist long enough to imbibe that water and germinate,” said Garland. “The exception to that rule — because there’s always an exception — are seeds that need light to germinate.” Garland said spring-sown and fall crops can briefly overlap in the same space if timed right, and recommends investing in a season extender device like a row cover to protect plants from frost as the weather gets colder. “Things like basil I don’t gamble with at all,” she said. “I try to harvest it earlier in the season because the [plant’s] tissue is very tender and I don’t want to lose my chance to have pesto. But things like Swiss chard and spinach and any brassicas [cruciferous vegetables] are very tough and can tolerate quite a bit of cold,” she said. If you’re running out of time to plant a fall garden, Garland suggests growing microgreens, which can be harvested every few weeks, or cover crops like oats and buckwheat, which protect and enrich soil. And Garland said garlic can be planted in the fall after the first few frosts but before the ground freezes — it can be left in the ground all winter and will send up shoots in the spring. The BDN also published the article.