Hudson Valley Life Magazine article

I recently contributed to this article in the Hudson Valley Life magazine for the August 2009. Check it out!

Grow Delicious fall veggies!

Plant now to enjoy healthy winter meals later

Author: By Liz Consavage Vilato
Posted: Monday, July 27, 2009

The calendar might still say summer, but it’s time to start thinking about the fall – especially when it comes to planting a fall vegetable garden. Typically it’s best to plant in the late spring or early summer, but you still have time now to get started. It’s a perfect way to stock up on delicious healthy vegetables for the winter.

“Planting vegetables later in your gardening season means that you can have year-round fresh food,” said Rebecca Cossa, gardener at Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie. “It also means you’re giving the stronger tasting veggies a shot and willing to experiment with your fall and winter cooking.”

Pick a perfect plot of land
As with any garden, a good plot of land is essential. Make sure the earth is loose and crumbly, not clay-like or sandy since these soils need to be amended over time before they can become prime planting material. Pick an area that gets a good deal of sun. Your garden will need at least six hours of sunlight daily and it should be close to a water source.

It’s best to plant transplants now (plants that have already been started and just need to be moved to your garden). You can find some in your local garden store and plant on a day that isn’t windy or sunny. Norbert Lazar of The Phantom Gardener in Rhinebeck recommends planting fall starts (small plants already started from seed) late in the day when the temperature is cooler. "Make sure they are well-watered until they are established and then give a good soaking at least once a week,” he said.
Soil preparation is key.

"Organic matter, preferably finished compost, should be added," said Lazar. Use at least two inches of material, lightly worked into the soil with a sprinking of balanced organic fertilizer. For growth, a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8 is ideal, he adds, but not necessary.

Transplant quickly so you don’t to expose the roots for too long. Soak the roots in water and add dry soil on top. “Many veggies can be grown late into the fall by using cold frames or covering them with fabric,” said Lazar.

Chris Kelder, owner of Kelder’s Farm and U-Pick in Kerhonkson advises mulching and proper watering your new plants, “because they are planted in the hottest and driest part of the growing season, fall vegetables need extra care.”

Watch out for frost
Cool weather means the plants grow quickly at first and then slow down as the days become shorter, but watch out for frost which can harm your plants. “Depending on the length of time each variety of vegetable requires (to grow), it can be risky if a heavy frost comes early,” says Kelder. You may want to choose certain plants that thrive in a light frost -- leafy greens, some members of the cabbage family and root crops.

“Many get sweeter with light frosts,” said Cossa. “Your refrigerator is about 38 degrees, so your veggies can take that outside too.” If you hold off planting until fall, plant before freezing temperatures comes in and plant so that you can harvest before then. A climate zone map shows where various permanent landscape plants can adapt. For example, if you want a shrub, perennial, or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate low and high temperatures. According to the zone map, the Hudson Valley area is in Zone 6, which means the time of the first freeze varies, but usually occurs in October, so you want definitely want to plant before then.

“You want to keep crops in the ground as long as possible, advises Cossa, but harvest roots before the ground freezes. “Freezing ground won’t necessarily hurt the plants, but you won’t be able to get your root crops out,” she says. “You can keep the ground warm by mulching before freezing, about a foot around plants, with leaves or hay.”

Enjoy your harvest
After harvesting, keep soil on your plants until you’re ready to use: this helps to preserve them. “You can also place poles near your crops to mark them in case of a deep snow,” adds Cossa. “But, don’t let heavy snow fall on leafy plants: it will break the stems.” Once you’ve gathered your veggies to enjoy, you can leave many of the plants in the ground: what gardeners call ‘overwintering.’ In the spring, you’ll enjoy a early gift of greens!

Liz Consavage Vilato is a freelance writer who lives in Wappingers Falls. She spends much of her free time in the garden.