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One of the things we love about growing in Texas is that we get a chance to grow some of our favorite warm weather veggies again in fall. We had such a crazy spring this year, full of rain and cloudy days, that many of us struggled with our tomato plants which desperately needed the sun to set some fruit. By the time they actually got around to setting some fruit, if they were able to at all, many plants were ravaged by fungal disease. Leaf blight, anyone? Enter fall vegetable planting. It’s like we get to call a “mulligan” or have a “redo” of our gardening mishaps. Here in San Antonio, if we plant early enough, we can enjoy tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and even “summer” squash into the fall. Save some room in your garden for when it’s time to plant your cooler weather veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and cool-weather greens, and you will be eating a fresh rotation all season long.

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(Sure you can have another round of these, but you better hop to it.)

Here are a few things to remember when you are trying to plant your fall “warmer-weather” vegetables:

The earlier the better. This tip should be adhered to, especially when planting tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Tomatoes are warm weather plants and most need about 100 days or so to mature. You might have to do a little math here, but that means if you plant no later than the 1st week of August you will have mature tomatoes around the end of October and beginning of November. Plant any later and you run the risk of cold weather damaging or stunting your tomato growth before you can pluck them off the vine. If you do opt to try your luck at planting later (not advised) you’ll need to buy the largest plant you can find and then whisper up a few prayers. Peppers and eggplant also like warmth, so you are in the same boat with these veggies. Another reason to buy and plant early? Supply. We know when you need to get your veggies in the ground for optimal growth and we plan for that. This is a case where the early bird gets the tomato. Once the supply is gone, they will be gone for the season. No pressure, though!

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(Don’t let the month slip by you. You’ve got to get those warmer weather plants in now.)

Baby your transplants for awhile. Yes, I said these plants need the sun and they like warmth, but you need to remember you are planting at a time when the sun has decided to go postal on us. The high 90 to 100 degree temps can take their toll on a scrawny little sprout trying to get it’s roots established. This is a time when you should offer your transplants some reprieve from the hottest and strongest rays from the sun. You know how when you spend a day at the beach and there comes a time when you find yourself trying to dig under the tailgate of a truck to get the slightest bit of shade for your sunburned body? That’s pretty much what your new plants feel like right there. You could stick a couple of branches from a foliated evergreen shrub along the side of the row you have planted in to give your plants some dappled light. You could make a “lean-to” with some cardboard to shade the transplants during the hottest of the hot times. Or you could use some row-cover material that will protect plants but still allow the needed light to come through. Adding a layer of mulch around your transplants not only helps prevent competing weeds, but it also helps to keep the roots cooler in the soil. Keep a diligent eye on your plants because it is amazing how fast the sun can scorch up a tender new shoot.

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(Ok, so maybe the baby bonnet is an extreme measure, but you do need to protect your tender new transplants while the sun is still blazing.)

Be mindful of planting in areas with past problems. Did your tomato plants experience that nasty leaf blight I mentioned earlier? Chances are high that if you plant in the same spot your plants will suffer the same problem again. Many fungal diseases are soil borne and they can continue to live in the soil for years after the diseased plant has been pulled up and tossed. Hopefully you took some time to solarize your veggie plot to help eradicate disease and weed issues, but even still, the recommendation is to plant your tomatoes on a 3 year rotation. That means not planting in the same spot for 3 years! You could plant other vegetables that are not susceptible to leaf blight in that area, but it’s best to plant your tomatoes somewhere else.

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(Leaf Blight!!!! Who wants to see this happen again? Not I! I’m planting in a different location!)

Running out of garden space? You could try planting your tomatoes in a large pot. Containers make great veggie and herb gardens, plus, you can move them around if needed to offer that bit of protection in the heat of the day. I would also suggest being mindful of the cooler weather veggies you are going to want to plant next month. Your garden can suddenly get that jungle feel with some of your current heat-tolerant veggies still producing, your new warm-weather veggies you just planted, and then your cool-season veggies squeezing in.  A too-crowded garden reduces air circulation which in turn invites disease. This is also another reason containers could come in handy. You could pot up some veggies and then, if you have room, you can transplant them to the ground later. Another tip to avoid overcrowding is to not get carried away and try to plant only what you will use and eat, with maybe a couple of new veggies mixed in there to try out.

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(Before you know it, your garden could be as crowded as this if you don’t plan a little!)

I’m doing it, I didn’t think I would, but I am doing it. When it was raining so much in the spring I yearned for the warmth of the sun, promising not to complain when I felt a little hot. Well, I am a promise-breaker. All it took was a few back to back days of 100 degree weather and I was pitching a fit, throwing tantrums, and on my hands and knees pleading for some rain. We had it so easy for awhile with our watering being done for us (our hoses had a nice vacation) but now it is back to work and this month we need to make some adjustments to our schedule. I realize it is hot outside and you may not feel like gardening. Doesn’t the drip, drip, dripping of sweat into your eyes and down your back appeal to you?

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(Gardening is suppose to be fun! Who wants to feel like this? Set your alarm and enjoy the cooler morning hours.)

Let’s go back to the phrase “the early bird gets the tomato”. Try waking up early and taking advantage of the few hours each day when the weather is mild enough to allow you to exert some gardening energy. It can be a very pleasant and peaceful time when the birds are chirping their morning encouragement and the sun is held at bay for a few hours. Plus, you will have started the day already accomplishing something so your day can’t progress anywhere but up from that point, right? Not a chance you are rolling out of bed to play in the dirt? How about carving some time in the early evening hours after the sun has begun to dip. Somehow you’ve got to find some time because we need to get a jump on fall since our mild spring and fall growing seasons are relatively short. If you do find yourself harboring a bit of self-loathing and only want to garden in the afternoon when the sun is at it’s peak, please slather on the sunscreen, wear a hat, drink immense amounts of water, and take multiple breaks (i.e. flopping on the cool kitchen tiles and panting like Fido).

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(WE WANT YOU TO WAKE UP WITH US IN THE MORNING!!!!!!)

 

So now that you’ve picked out your tomato, eggplant and pepper plants and you’ve got them in the ground, I bet you’ve got the itch to keep going. You’ll need to pull the reigns until the latter part of this month for planting your other fall veggies as they prefer the soil to cool down slightly and they’d like the air temps to descend a bit; but you can feel free to start some seeds of cole crops ( broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower) to use for transplanting out in the garden in September. Plant seeds in a seeding tray, and then as the plants grow, you can work on hardening them off (gradually adapting them to sunlight) throughout the month of August and early September so they will be prepared to slide into the garden just in time for fall planting. For more information on sowing seeds, hardening off, and transplanting, click here. It would also be a great idea to visit our veggie calendar planting guide to see more fall veggie options and their optimal planting time. 

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(Start some cole crop seeds now to be ready for your garden in September!)

P.S. If you want pumpkins in October, plant your seeds mid July or no later than the 1st-2nd week of August. I had to throw that in….I just love me a jack-o’-lantern!

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 (Yes… now!)

The Happy Gardener

Lisa Mulroy