Fall Garden Festival in Crossville

Jerry and I spent the day yesterday enjoying the Fall Garden Festival at the Plateau Experiment Station near Crossville, TN. In case you missed my presentation on fall vegetable gardening, I am posting the information from the handout I provided to festival attendees. You can email me with fall gardening questions, if you like.

Don’t Stop Now: Third Season Gardening in Tennessee

The approximate date of the first frost is October 20.

The approximate date of the first hard freeze is November 20.

You may have time for broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower if you can find good plants, or have already started seeds.

Think leafy greens and root crops for your main focus.

Fast maturity, frost tolerance, and overwintering capability are important considerations.

Pre-soak seeds to speed germination, especially carrots, parsley, beets and kale; direct sown seeds will germinate quickly in warm soil.

Some good choices and approximate maturity times are:

                arugula – 30-45 days

                bak choy – about 40 days

                beets – about 60 days, O

                carrots – about 60 days, O

                chard – about 60 days, O

                chervil – about 45 days, O

                cilantro – about 30 days, O

                cress – about 40 days

                kale – about 75 days, O

                lettuce – about 60 days

                mache – about 60 days

                mizuna – about 40 days

                mustard – about 40-60 days

                parsley – about 70 days, O

                scallions – about 60 days, O

                spinach—about 50 days

                tatsoi – about 45 days

                turnips – 30-45 days, O

O = often will overwinter in garden

Using season extending techniques can add up to a month of grow/harvest time.

Grow smaller plants in containers that can be moved indoors at night.

Use spaces where summer annuals grew for additional growing opportunities.

Covering a raised bed with plastic held up by PVC hoops has proven to be one of the cheapest, most effective methods for extending the season.

You can also build a temporary cold frame, using straw bales or concrete blocks and some old window sashes. (Check a window replacement company for these.)

Some Recommended Varieties

These recommendations are based on experience in our Zone 6b garden. All these vegetables can be direct seeded for fall harvest.

arugula – Speedy, Even’Star Winter, Roquette, “wild”

bak choy – Mei Quing

beets – Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Early Wonder Tall Top

carrots – Atlas (containers), Little Finger, Danvers 126

chard – Lucullus, Neon Lights

chervil – Brussels Winter

cilantro – few named cultivars

cress – Belle Isle

kale – Dwarf Blue Curled, Lacinato, Red Russian, Vates

lettuce – Rougette de Montpelier, Tom Thumb, Ashley, Lollo Rossa, Rouge d’Hiver, Forrellenschluss,     Freckles, many others

mache – Salad Zing, Vit

mizuna – few named cultivars

mustard – Red Giant

parsley – Moss Curled, Italian

scallions – Evergreen White Bunching

spinach—Winter Bloomsdale

tatsoi –few named cultivars

turnips – Seven Top

                You can also plant transplants of these varieties. Garden centers typically have plants ready at the proper time for their location. These vegetables require about six weeks from seed to transplanting size, and so must be started in mid- to late-July for September transplanting. Once they resume growth, they are generally very cold tolerant.

broccoli—Di Cicco, Waltham 29

Brussels sprouts—Catskill

cabbage—Early Jersey Wakefield, Savoy Perfection

cauliflower—Snowball Self-Blanching (fall planted only)

kale—(see above)

kohlrabi—Early Purple Vienna

leek—King Sieg, Broad London, American Flag

Perennial onion bulbs are also planted in fall.