September always seems to be playing with our gardening psyche. According to University of Missouri Extension, and basically every other credible planting calendar, we should be seeing some solid growth patterns on our cool-season vegetables this time of year. Of course, weather depending…

By Matt Even

[This article was first published in The Gateway Gardener September 2017 issue.]

September always seems to be playing with our gardening psyche. According to University of Missouri Extension, and basically every other credible planting calendar, we should be seeing some solid growth patterns on our cool-season vegetables this time of year. Of course, weather depending…

Due to the temperature variables we can see in the fall and winter transition, there are a few tricks that every gardener should have up his or her sleeve. Use some time tested cool-season strategies for a successful winter harvest.

Sunlight Protection and Germination

With high temperatures in the fall, it can be difficult for vegetables to maintain proper growth without a little TLC. Purchase floating row cover (a fabric that lets in light, water and airflow), or shade cloth, that can be constructed over your vegetable beds to protect sensitive crops like Brassicas (collards, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, etc.). This is also a great technique to use in the dog days of summer, when we need to start direct seeding cool-season crops like carrots. The shade can provide just the right amount of a cooling effect for good germination.

If cool season crops are exposed to excessive heat, they tend to signal reproduction and “bolt”, usually represented in an elongation of the plant and the production of seeds. Depending upon what you’re growing, this is potentially bad news. As vegetable plants begin to become stressed and signal reproduction, the plant will become bitter tasting. Long, uniform foliar growth is what typically gives us the most delicate and tasty leaves, especially when it comes to vegetables in the brassica family.

Season Extension Techniques

Floating row cover is a multi-seasonal tool. By creating hoops with row cover that arch over your vegetable beds, you can create a small greenhouse effect that will keep your beds warmer than the surrounding environment. Research shows that this technique can heat the desired area up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be the shining moment between frost damage to vegetables and 2-3 more weeks of plant growth.

Another environmental factor to consider is your geographical location due to our built environment. Urban areas tend to produce a heat island, which is an area that is warmer than the surrounding environment. Basically, cities tend to stay hotter than rural areas due to infrastructure (roads, buildings, homes) and vehicle emissions. According to the EPA, depending upon a city’s population, a temperature difference from 2-22 degrees Fahrenheit is possible! Use this environmental phenomenon to your advantage. In urban areas, we can get away with longer growing seasons, and if you have some gardening knowledge, potentially push the growing zone of what is normally considered possible to grow in your area.

If you are considering what to do in the garden this fall, just make a plan. Experimenting with a few season extension techniques and strategies can help you to be harvesting vegetables for Thanksgiving (I’ve done it the past 3 years). In our region, we have a great fall growing season for cool-season vegetables due to drawn out summers and mild fall night temperatures. Explore over-wintering root crops, extending your normal growing season, and try growing some new frost-tolerant varieties. Your taste buds will thank you when you have a freshly harvested meal in October or November.

Matt Even has worked on organic farms from Northern Minnesota to Austin, Texas, and has been growing food since he decided to put his Sociology degree to good use. When he wrote this article in 2017, Matt was working as Outreach Manager and Educator for Gateway Greening, helping to start urban agriculture projects across the country.