By JOANNE BRIANA-GARTNER
Fall usually means garden cleanup. Tasks like pulling up all the weeds that grew in August when it was too hot to tend to anything, and deciding where to plant what next season, are usually in the forefront of the proactive gardener’s mind. But in addition to cleaning up, the truly proactive gardener might also still be harvesting a few choice crops, and no, not just the last few tomatoes clinging to droopy, spindly vines, but rather hearty—and in some cases—recently planted ones.
If you planted kale this summer you will likely be harvesting it well into the fall and perhaps even shaking a bit of snow off it for use later in the season. Hyannis Country Garden lists kale, along with chard, as one of the top 10 vegetables to grow on Cape Cod.
Terri Navicks, owner of Brick Kiln Farms, was overseeing an array of mid-September fall vegetables at her East Falmouth nursery and farm stand. Lettuce, mustard greens, chard, and kale were all still available for those looking to plant some fall crops. She was especially enamored with the mustard greens for their flavor and texture. All of these plants can withstand a light frost, said Ms. Navicks.
And as for sowing seeds directly into the garden, those who plan ahead and plant in mid-to-late July can enjoy second plantings of many garden staples including beans, carrots, radishes and leeks. Lettuce, likely the first thing you planted in the spring as soon as you could turn over some soil, can also be planted late in the season for a fall harvest. Beets are another, and when you plant these in mid-summer, you’ll be amazed at how much quicker they take off in the summer’s warmth than when you first planted them in chilly spring.
Spinach can be planted mid-summer for a fall harvest. Many gardeners report that it’s easier to grow late summer/fall spinach because the longer days of June encourage spring spinach to bolt.
Sugar snap peas, another early spring crop, can also be planted mid-summer for a fall harvest. And maybe by now you’ve figured out a way to outwit all the critters that flocked to eat them in the spring.
Fall gardens can even be attractive. At Brick Kiln Farms there was both Tuscan and scarlet kale, two varieties that not only can be eaten and enjoyed but that also look unusual.
Some crops even laugh at the cold—at least a little. Brussels sprouts are even said to taste better if they are picked after exposure to the cold. Many experts suggest leaving carrots in the garden all fall and even into the winter until you plan to pull and eat them. The carrots will be sweeter the longer you leave them in the ground. If you want to try it, it’s recommended that you weed around the carrots thoroughly and then heavily mulch the carrot bed. If you grow parsnips the Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends leaving them in the ground for “at least a few frosts,” to maximize their flavor.
The same tricks you used in the spring to protect newly planted seeds and plants from cold temperatures can be employed in the fall to help growing plants reach maturity despite falling temps and shorter days. Catalogues sell everything from individual and garden row cloches to metal frames surrounded by garden fabrics and meshes.
On the Cape it can frost as early as mid-October, so plan accordingly. Don’t forget to bring your houseplants, which, if they are like mine, have been enjoying their summer vacation out of doors, back inside the house. I usually do this on Columbus Day weekend.
Garlic, of course, must be planted in the fall for a summer harvest. Most advice suggests you plant in October, a month or so before the first hard frost. I have waited as late as the end of November and still had great garlic in July. If you don’t plant garlic, consider it. It grows easily, garden critters don’t eat it, and it keeps well. Remember to mulch your garlic after you plant it to protect those spring sprouts from freak late-winter storms; if you were on the Cape this past March, you know what I’m talking about.
If you planted root vegetables and large squashes, fall is the time to harvest them. Pumpkins and butternut squash take a long time on the vine so September harvests are the norm.
For those who are done with their gardens, at least until next year, Ms. Navicks suggests practicing good “garden hygiene” by removing spent plants in the fall rather that leaving them for spring cleanup. “If there were any issues with mildew or fungus, you don’t want to leave those plants in the garden,” she said.
Fresh manure can be put down in the garden in the fall and worked into the soil in the spring. Closer to growing season gardeners should avoid fresh and only work properly aged manure into the soil.
Ms. Navicks also suggested that gardeners try to get weeds out of fall gardens before they flower, which will hopefully reduce the amount of weeds they have to deal with next spring. “It’s a lot of work to keep up with, but it’s worth it,” she said.