Texas gardening after the fall equinox
If you are wondering what to plant in late September, October and November in your Texas kitchen garden, this article is for you. Both the spring and fall equinoxes mark the 2 days during the year when the day and night hours are at equal lengths. So the day after the fall equinox, the days literally get shorter each day, until the winter solstice. Your plants can sense this. As daylight is reducing, the plants also reduce the speed at which they grow. Which means we are at a bit of a race to get plants in, get your fall garden filled up and growing strong before the days get at their shortest and growth is slowed a bunch.
Awkwardly, in central Texas, the October gardens are a bit sandwiched between days that are too warm for the happiest cool season crops and the days where daylight is shrinking fast.
I encourage gardeners to be very aggressive with setting up their fall gardens by Halloween. Yes, your tomatoes and peppers can still be growing strong, but they will not last past the first freeze (normally late November - early December), and in the meantime could be taking up important raised bed real estate. Here is what we are doing in our client’s gardens right now:
1) New gardens get full of seeds and cool season plants.
The client installations happening in October and November include only cool season plants. The ones that are happily transplanted must be put in as transplants - there’s no use messing with seeds right now. That includes broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage. The faster-growing plants are added as either (or both) seeds or transplants: spinach, kale, arugula, cilantro, parsley and lettuce. Those slower-to-maturity plants that should only be added as seeds come in also: carrots, turnips, celery, beets, peas and radish. This is also a great time to add onions of all types by seed. Seeds can be added every 2-3 weeks in any empty space you have - and no, you do not need to confine yourself to organized rows! Feel free to do it as nature does it; seeds into any open space.
2) The client gardens we maintain get a major transformation.
“Succession planting” means you never clean the whole garden out. The heat loving plants such as okra, eggplant and melons likely have been coming out one at a time over the course of a few weeks while fall seeds are put in their place. Once the temps really cool off the tomatoes may be in lush bloom, so the smaller (and favorite) tomatoes we may have left in will get cool weather seeds planted at their feet. By Halloween, only the absolute favorite tomatoes will remain, while all the others have been gradually replaced. By Thanksgiving all warm season plants must go with others in their place. A happy garden always has something growing in it.
3) Consider a cover crop if you don’t want to garden.
It’s totally OK to take a break. Gardening should be fun! Since your soil will do better with something growing in it, consider spreading out winter peas in any and all areas you wont have a crop. Peas will improve the soil, turning the air nitrogen into soil nitrogen and feeding future plants!
4) Care for your soil.
Other than plants, your soil through fall and winter should stay hydrated at least weekly and the occasional molasses addition can keep feeding the healthy biology and keep fire ants away.
5) Enjoy!
Those of us who garden year round in Texas often say fall is the best time to garden. It’s cooler, required less irrigation, has fewer pests, and with the cooling off weather it’s just so darn enjoyable to be outside! So grab yourself a hot chocolate and a handful of lettuce mix and plant away! Eat healthier, more antioxidants all winter long!
And if you are feeling overwhelmed about the entire process, give us a call! Setting your garden up right the first time is the secret to success. If you book a consultation in September, you will have a garden full and thriving by Halloween.
Happy planning!