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Fundamentals of Fall Gardening

By webmaster | September 27, 2009

Fall or Spring gardening basically have the same fundamental preparation.
The rewards of choosing an ideal location, then the proper preparation of
the soil, are most enjoyable when harvesting the fruits of your well planned
labor. Before we go into the preparation of the soil, I would like to give a
tip on great vegetable ties. I use old knee highs as ties for plants such as
tomatoes or any tall plants that require staking. The hose stretches and will
not injure your plant as other ties do.

Now let’s talk about location:

1.Ideal location gets 8+hrs. of sunlight: away from trees & large shrubs

2. Must have good drainage, turn the soil at least 10” deep, add bank sand if needed.

3. Incorporate plenty of organic compost, which must be thoroughly composted, or it will leach the soil of necessary nutrients as it decomposes. VIP: do not get cheap compost that has twigs, bark, etc. in it. Thoroughly composted material has a dark, earthy texture and has no odor.

4. Now we are ready to add fertilizer, 13-13-13,(3 lbs. per 100 sq.ft). The #’s represent *Nitrogen* for green leafy growth,*Phosphorus* for root growth, stem growth, & fruiting, *Potassium* for hardiness & stress tolerance. Additional amts. of fertilizer are needed later in the season to insure optimum plant growth and production. Add 1-½ oz.(3Tbls.)of Ammonium Sulfate per 10ft. Row for cucs, okra, eggplant, peas & beans, peppers, Squash & tomatoes after the 1st fruits are set, then after the 1st harvest, & every 3 to 4 weeks thereafter.

5. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, spinach & turnip greens require 1-½ to 2 oz.(4Tbls.)of ammonium sulfate per 10 ft. row 2 weeks after transplanting OR 4 weeks after sowing seed.

6. Watering: do not water a veggie garden with a sprinkler system, it is best to use the irrigation method, just lay a hose in the furrow and allow the water to run slowly.

7. If you do not have a suitable space for a garden at your home, you might want to rent a space at the Community Garden at the soccer fields on Research Forest Dr. There are several size plots available, the smallest is 4x10ft @ $20 per yr. The water is furnished, the plots are edged in concrete, you just need to add the amenities in your plot. The # to rent a space is 281-210-3900.

Happy Gardening!
Rina

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