Transcript Fall Vegetable Gardening and Putting the Garden to Bed

Fall Vegetable Gardening
Presented by Kent Phillips
Howard Co MG
[email protected]
College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
2
Maryland
Master Gardeners’
Mission
Our mission is to educate Maryland
residents about safe, effective and
sustainable horticultural practices
that build healthy gardens,
landscapes, and communities.
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can be found at
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What Do We Mean By
Fall Gardening?
 Planting crops for harvest prior to frost or a hard freeze
NORTH-CENTRAL MARYLAND
Station
10%
1 yr. in 10
33%
1 yr. in 3
50%
1 yr. in 2
67%
2 yrs. in 3
90%
9 yrs. in 10
Balt. Airport
Oct. 17
Oct. 23
Oct. 28
Nov. 02
Nov. 08
Baltimore
City
Oct. 30
Nov. 08
Nov. 13
Nov. 18
Nov. 28
Bel Air
Sep. 28
Oct. 10
Oct. 16
Oct. 22
Nov. 03
Frederick
Oct. 07
Oct. 17
Oct. 22
Oct. 27
Nov. 06
Westminster Oct. 06
Oct. 15
Oct. 20
Oct. 25
Nov. 03
Woodstock
Sep. 28
Oct. 07
Oct. 12
Oct. 17
Oct. 26
Rockville
Oct. 01
Oct. 12
Oct. 18
Oct. 24
Nov. 04
What Do We Mean By
Fall Gardening?
Planting crops for harvest prior to frost
or a hard freeze
What Do We Mean By
Fall Gardening?
Planting crops that can be overwintered
for winter or spring harvest.
What Do We Mean By
Fall Gardening?
Planting cover crops on unused beds to
increase soil fertility and minimize
winter weeds
What Do We Mean By
Fall Gardening?
Extending the season by using a cold
frame, greenhouse or low tunnel.
Preparing the Site
Remove waste from previous crop.
If ground is dry, give it a thorough soaking.
Work compost into top few inches of soil.
Add recommended amount of Nitrogen
(.20#/100 sq. ft. of garden.
Nitrogen Calculation
 Soybean meal – 7-3-1
• .2/.07 = 2.85 #/100
• Organic Nitrogen is less effective in cool/cold
weather since soil microorganisms are less active
 Blood Meal – 15-0-0
• .2/.15 = 1.3 #/100
• Blood meal contains 50% water soluble nitrogen
so it is effective in cool weather
 10-10-10
• .2/.1 = 2 #/100
• all water soluble nitrogen
Fall Days & Cooler Temps
Cool nights slow plant growth but you can
speed up growth using row cover or plastic.
Vegetables take longer to mature. Days grow
shorter, less sunlight energy for plants. Add
14 days to maturity time for so called short
day factor
These environmental conditions add sugar to
cole crops.
Lettuce and spinach will not bolt.
Cover Crops
• Check out GIEI website for info on cover crops
– GE006_CoverCrop2.pdf
• Different cover crops do different things
– Break up clay soil (forage radish)
– Deep root systems to capture nutrients (winter rye)
– Add nitrogen to the soil (legumes)
• Plant a legume and cereal together to get additional
benefit.
• Cover crops can be planted in any unused beds at
anytime of year but no later than mid-October.
Winterizing the Garden
• September
– Pull up and compost undiseased spent plants
– Plant spinach and kale for spring harvest
• October
–
–
–
–
Pull up and compost undiseased spent plants.
Cover pepper and tomato plants to prolong production.
Remove and store stakes and cages.
Plant cover crop in empty areas. Till in organic matter.
• November
– Cover empty beds with shredded leaves to stop winter
weed growth.
– Mulch overwintering carrots, leeks, winter onions,
strawberries, radishes and parsnips with clean straw.
• December – Get soil sample for spring planting
Compost and Leaves Covering Beds
Rake & Take Program
• Leaves are available through the Howard
County “Rake and Take Program” or you can
just pick them up from your neighbors.
• Register with Pat Hooker, Howard County MG
– E-mail: [email protected]
– 410-489-4314
– Leaves may require shredding.
• Takers pick up bags curb-side.
Resources
• Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC)
– 800-342-2507
– www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
• Grow-It-Eat-It website
– www.extension.umd.edu/giei
• Master Gardener state website
– www.extension.umd.edu/mg
This program was brought to you by
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Howard County
University of Maryland Extension