A lot of our customers ask me when to plant specific crops. So here goes. If you don’t have a planting guide get one, or four. Preferably all different and for our area of the planet. The ones we have at the store are also on our website. Please take note that they are written on paper and not carved in stone. You should consider all planting guides just that, a guide. When do I plant a fall garden? I plant when the planting guide(s), my schedule and when Mother Nature’s schedule allows.
Onions and garlic can be planted as soon as they are available. You can plant tomatoes and peppers in September but it can be a little risky. Choose tomato varieties with less than 65 days to maturity labels and keep a good eye on the weather. When it comes to beans and peas I try to be on the early side of late, in respect to the planting guides. For the other fall/winter crops I tend to be on the late side of the planting guides. The reason is that I have found it easier to protect plants from the cold than the hot and dry. Towards the end of September I plant lettuce, spinach, radish, beets, mustard and turnips, kale, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and Brussel sprouts. Actually, I never plant Brussel sprouts. I hope you get the idea if I forgot to mention a specific favorite vegetable.
If it is still hot when you are planting these cool season seeds, here are a couple of tricks. Furrow (trench) the row and soak the inside of the furrow with water. Sow the seeds and cover with dry dirt, to the correct depth, as you normally would. You can also cover the rows with water soaked burlap bags. The burlap bag works very well but you need to check the row daily. Once a seed breaks the top of row remove the burlap.