From Brown County Extension Agent Scott Anderson:

As we leave summer and enter the fall season, beginner and expert gardeners alike are planning their fall vegetable gardens. Whether you are growing vegetables in a pot in your apartment or refreshing your backyard garden, it is important to know that a fall vegetable garden needs to be managed differently than a spring garden.

The good news is that a well-prepared garden can ensure a bountiful harvest when the time comes.

Sunlight for fall vegetables

One of the most important things for a vegetable garden is learning how much sunlight your plants need. Vegetable gardens should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight, unobstructed by shadows from taller objects nearby.

Crops and plants grown for their roots and fruits should be planted in areas that receive the most sunlight. If you have to plant something a little more into the shade, do it with your leafy greens, which can tolerate a little less sunlight.

Healthy soil for a healthy garden

Soil quality is another important factor when planning for a strong vegetable garden.

By the time you put your first plant in the ground, you’re already 75% of the way toward success or failure. At that point, you’ve either prepared a good-quality soil for your plants or you haven’t.

If you are unsure about the quality or health of your soil, then you may consider getting a soil test. Soil testing helps you understand the precise composition of your soil. Texans who wish to know more about their soil composition can order a soil test from AgriLife Extension.

Adding fertilizer is the next step. You have two options:

• Apply 1 pound of ammonium sulfate (21- 0-0) per 100 square feet (10 feet by 10 feet) before planting. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ammonium sulfate around each plant every 3 weeks and water it in.
• Or, apply 2 to 3 pounds of a slow-release fertilizer (19-5-9, 21-7-14, or 25-5-10) per 100 square feet of garden area. Apply 1 tablespoon of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) around each plant every 3 weeks and water it in. This second method should produce a more abundant harvest, especially with hybrid tomatoes and peppers.

Do not add too much ammonium sulfate, and do not put it too close to the plants. It can seriously damage them.

When to plant vegetables for fall

Fall gardeners can set the stage for a bountiful harvest by selecting the best vegetable varieties for their regions and planting them at the right time.

In Texas, our fall season can be short between the blazing heat of summer and first frost of winter. So, we want things that harvest quickly, and you want to select crops that are well-adapted to your area.

Knowing just when to plant vegetables, according to region, is important.

The trick to establishing healthy transplants during late summer is to make sure they have plenty of water. Transplants in peat pots or cell packs with restricted root zones require at least 2 weeks for their root systems to enlarge enough to support active plant growth. Until that time, they may need to be watered every day or the plants will be stunted or even die.