It’s About Thyme
by CHRIS WINSLOW
Each year I have to wait for the passage of eight long months to finally get to this, my favorite season. As a youth, of course, the best was the summer. School’s out. But as I now enter my sixth decade, summer has fallen from grace, especially given the high temperatures of the last three summers.
September brings with it cooler weather and a glorious new season for our vegetable gardens and landscapes.
Many gardening friends agree that fall is the best season to plant. The weather is cooling while the ground temperature remains warm. Root systems get a great start with the warm ground while top growth has less stress from cooler air temperatures.
For tomato and pepper plants that have lasted through the summer, flowers should set and produce fruit. Organic granular fertilizers, top or side-dressed, will give these crops a much-needed boost.
Now is the time to plant the fall veggies that thrive in the shorter days of fall and winter .
Favorites for gardeners are the crucifers – cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli and kohlrabi. You can sow seeds for these varieties, or grow them from transplants.
Leafy winter greens also love the fall and winter seasons. Most popular in Central Texas are arugula, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, beets and Swiss chard.
Let’s not forget lettuce. These leafy greens come in an array of colors and leaf forms. Top of my list are romaine and red leaf lettuce such as Red Sails. In our area, leafy varieties perform better than head lettuce.
Radishes are one of the easiest veggies to grow from seed. I love this crop for its speed and flavor. You can harvest them within a few weeks of planting and then replant them throughout the cooler months of fall and winter.
Fall is also the perfect time for shallots. Started from bulbs (available in local garden centers) shallots are a perennial that you can harvest, divide and replant throughout the year. They are often called ‘ever-bunching onions’ because of this.
Early November will be the time to plant your garlic and Texas short-day onions. Early November plantings of Texas 1015Y and Southern Belle Red will insure a large and successful harvest in mid-April.
Along with the cooler weather, hopefully, Mother Nature will bless us with some drought- breaking rain. The combination always makes fall the very best time to grow.
Happy gardening, everyone!
If you have a question for Chris Winslow, send it to him via email: [email protected]. Or mail your question to Chris at: It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748
