Friday, July 17, 2015

Planning for a Fall Heirloom Garden

It's time to start planning for the fall garden! I've got a large variety of organic heirloom seeds to pick through and I'm wondering what are your favorite fall and winter vegetables? What do you like to eat when there's a chill in the air? I'm longing for something new and different that can grow in 40-70*F temperatures. So far I have Alaska Shelling Peas, Late Flat Dutch Cabbage (these things are monsters, 10-15 lbs each!),  Leeks, Cream of the Crop Winter Squash, Waltham 29 Broccoli, Preococe D'Argenteuil Asparagus, Red Onions, Yellow Onions, Pie Pumpkins (already planted) and various Greens. 
I live in Zone 8a and have fairly mild winters so I'm able to easily overwinter a lot of different hardy plants. However, for those that can't, I set up a little guide of starting/transplanting dates for the most popular fall crops.


:Plant Name:                      :Start Seeds:                              :Transplant:                      :Spacing:    
Broccoli                     8-12 weeks before 1st frost          4-6 weeks before 1st frost         8-10 in apart

Cabbage                    8-12 weeks before 1st frost          4-6 weeks before 1st frost         20-24 in apart

Carrots                      Direct Sow 8-10 weeks before 1st frost                                        3-4 in apart

Winter Squash           Direct Sow mid July - early August                                              2-3 feet apart

Peas                         Direct Sow 8-10 weeks before 1st frost                                         2-3 in apart  



You can find your specific frost dates here.




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