Fall Veggies
By Bruce Lee Deuley - 9/3/03

It is a little late for planting Tomatoes this time of the year but there are still plenty of good vegetables we can plant and enjoy almost all winter long this far south in Texas.

These veggies include Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Green onions, peas and carrots as well as the old stand-bys’ cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and winter Squash. For best results, have these transplants in the ground the first week of September.

Spinach, Turnips, leaf lettuce, Radishes, and Beets can also go in the ground now but they are even more freeze tolerant and may be planted any time between now and the end of the month. Alternatively, try my favorite, Swiss chard, it is one of the easiest greens to grow and makes a colorful addition to a green salad as well as a great cooked vegetable.

Adding liberal amounts of composted organic matter to all types of garden soils is highly recommended. Our high pH soils here in the Texas hill country are generally too high in calcium to be easily acidified. If your soil’s pH is only in the 7.5 range, sulfur may be an option for lowering the pH adequately. However, all high pH soils will become more forgiving when large amounts of compost are added to buffer the soil and make nutrients more available. In other words, with lots of organic matter pH seems not to be much of a problem.

Organic fertilizer may also be needed to build up the soil for the fall garden. If you have not had a soil test to tell you the nutrient content of your soil, apply 10 to 15 pounds of a good organic fertilizer such as Maestro Gro’s Texas Tee or one of the Gardenville’s organic fertilizers to every 100 square feet of garden area.

Every two weeks spraying the entire garden with one ounce of seaweed and a half-ounce Molasses to a gallon of water will work wonders for your plants. For a real kick, add these ingredients to some home brewed compost tea.

If you not into home brews, Seaweed, Molasses and compost teas can be purchased already bottled under names such as Source One Sea Mist, Garrett Juice or Deuley’s Own Elixir. Some of these products also have live microbes and other additives not readily available to the home gardener so read the ingredients list and choose the one that fits your needs best.

Good Gardening.