3 Tips for Fall Garden Crop Selection
While most of us are still melting in Florida’s summer heat, soon will be a day when cooler temps arrive, sun tans fade, and the inexorable dirt returns to my fingernails. Fall gardening season is just around the corner and I wanted to share a couple of tips for those of you who are beginning to plan your garden.
Make no mistake, fall is my favorite time to garden in central Florida. It is the beginning of what seems like a 10 month season and the possibilities feel endless. Enthusiastic gardeners who don’t mind the heat can start putting out tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in August. Come September, the flood gates of variety open. When trying to decide what to plant in my garden there are always a few factors I consider.
What do I like to eat?
One year I had several of the most prolific eggplant plants I had ever grown but I had eggplant coming out my ears and it was more than I could consume or give away. When selecting crops for your garden, consider what you cook with most and prioritize your garden around those items. The second thing I consider is crops that I really like to eat but have a hard time sourcing from my local grocery store or market. For me, these are things like Thai basil, lemon grass, certain lettuce varieties, etc. Lastly, choose something new! Each season I like to flip through my seed catalogues and pick out a funky cool variety of something I have never grown before, just for fun. This keeps things playful in the garden and helps me keep learning about new crops. This season for fun I am growing lemon cucumbers, they taste like cucumbers but are yellow and shaped like lemons!
2. Timing
While I can begin planting some of my favorites in September, I want to make sure I leave space in my garden for all my other favorites come October & November. So if you know you love root vegetables and brassicas, maybe only plant a small portion of your garden with warm season crops and save the extra space for whatever your favorites all. Be sure to check your seed packets for “days to harvest” usually listed on the front or back. This can help you determine how long that crop will be taking up space in your garden before making room for others. For example, radishes only take between 20-30 days to grow, however growing broccoli from seed can take 50-60.
3. Plant height and spacing
Some plants like tomato and cucumber can grow up to 10’ tall while many others are between 6’’-18’’. If you are growing in a small space or raised bed, knowing the plant height before you plan out your garden is critical. Taller plants should always line the north side of the garden as not to over-shade any of the shorter plants. Remember, vegetables LOVE sunlight and we want to maximize the light hours for them.
North facing: tomato, cucumber, eggplant, okra
South facing: lettuce, root vegetables, herbs
In between: Brassicas, beans
There is so much to consider when selecting your crop varieties for fall but remember to keep it fun, try something new, and grow what you love to eat! As long as your garden gets 6-8 hours of sunlight, your follow the spacing directions on the seed package, and give it appropriate water and nutrients, you should have a successful season! Check out the full garden guide below for the August and September planting list.
If you are interested in learning more about how to plan your garden bed for fall keep an eye out for a workshop announcement later this week!
