#2 Decide Which Crops You Want to Plant<\/h2>\n
Perhaps it would be more accurate to call this step, “Decide Which Crops You Still Have Time to Plant.”<\/p>\n
Crops mature at different rates. For example,\u00a0you can harvest arugula within 30 to 40 days after planting; but, carrots can take up to 75 days to mature. In general, leafy greens mature faster than other types of vegetables. So, for instance, if you were to plant leafy greens and root vegetables at the same time, the greens would be ready to\u00a0harvest long before the\u00a0root vegetables.<\/p>\n
![\"raised](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/raised-bed.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
A\u00a0great variety of vegetables\u00a0grow well in cooler temperatures. Below\u00a0is a partial list of the most common ones and the average number of\u00a0days to maturity\u00a0for each. As a rule, the amount of time a crop\u00a0requires to mature depends primarily on the maturity characteristics of the\u00a0variety and\u00a0the climate conditions where the crop is grown.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Arugula (30-40 days)<\/li>\n
- Beets (50-65 days)<\/li>\n
- Broccoli (60-70 days)<\/li>\n
- Cabbage (50-65 days)<\/li>\n
- Carrots (55-75 days)<\/li>\n
- Cauliflower (65-75 days)<\/li>\n
- Collard greens (55-60 days)<\/li>\n
- Kale (45-60 days)<\/li>\n
- Kohlrabi (55-65 days)<\/li>\n
- Lettuce (45-60 days)<\/li>\n
- Mustard greens \u00a0(30-50 days)<\/li>\n
- Onion, green (55-60 days)<\/li>\n
- Radish (25-40 days)<\/li>\n
- Spinach (37-50 days)<\/li>\n
- Swiss Chard (50-60 days)<\/li>\n
- Turnip (45-60 days)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Incidentally…your local\u00a0extension service can provide\u00a0a list of the fall vegetables that can be grown in your region, and the average days to maturity for each.\u00a0If your\u00a0extension service has a website, try to\u00a0get on\u00a0their mailing list to receive newsletters and any other information they\u00a0might\u00a0send to their subscribers.<\/p>\n
Vegetables need enough time to mature before the first fall frost.\u00a0When deciding which crops to plant, you need to work backward from this\u00a0date to determine when\u00a0to start seeds for crops that will mature as it gets cold. So, grab\u00a0a calendar and start counting! Obviously, the earlier you start, the less limited your choices will be. (More on this later.)<\/p>\n
For optimal\u00a0results, choose short season crops\u00a0for your fall garden. Although it’s possible to start your plants from seeds, it’s not ideal to do so. To ensure the best outcome, try to start your fall garden with plants.<\/p>\n
Remember, however, that those time-to-maturity tables assume the plant is being started from seed. If\u00a0you start with plants,\u00a0you’ll be able to harvest sooner. That’s one of biggest\u00a0advantages of starting with plants. Another major advantage is that plants are hardier than seeds and have a better chance of survival in cool temperatures.<\/p>\n
#3 Prepare Your Garden Beds<\/h2>\n
Fall is a good time\u00a0to try a raised bed garden, for several reasons. Fall weather tends to be wet, and raised beds provide better drainage. For excellent drainage, experts recommend raising the beds to a height of eight inches. Raised beds also\u00a0help prevent rot because rain\u00a0doesn’t get a chance to pool and accumulate during the wet\u00a0season. Consequently, plants don’t get over watered.<\/p>\n
If you decide on raised beds for your fall garden, fill them\u00a0with a mixture of native soil and compost. You may use other types of organic soil amendments instead\u00a0of compost, if you prefer.<\/p>\n
A straw bale garden is\u00a0another\u00a0good option for fall gardens. If you’re not lucky enough to live near a farm, you can get straw bales at your local garden center.<\/p>\n
![\"straw](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/straw-bales.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStraw bales need to be\u00a0conditioned to get them ready for planting. Conditioning speeds up the decomposition process. Before you do anything, though, make sure the bales are placed where you want them because they will be too heavy to move later.<\/p>\n