Did you know that you can plant a fall garden?  Of course, there are the greens, Turnips, mustard, and collards.  But what about the cauliflower, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and others.  You need to work the soil before planting or transplanting just like you do in the spring.  Try to bring up the moisture content to the top of the row., then replenish the nutrients taken away from the soil that was used up by the spring crops.  Commercial fertilizer, mulch, or compost will do the job for you.  

There is still time for crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and sweet corn.  You have to get it done asap now because the time is running short for you to get a good harvest.  Sweet G 90 corn is a 90 day to harvest corn, so it would be a good place to start.  Most tomatoes and peppers can still be planted.  Everything depends on the weather and how soon the first frost comes.  Let’s don’t forget snap beans such as contender and blue lake.  You may even get lucky enough to have fresh vegetables at your Thanksgiving feast.  Baby carrots would also be a good thing to plant.  If you plant in August, you really need to be careful not to let your plants dry up.  Watch for the moisture content of the soil and irrigate regularly.  

Planting and harvesting a fall garden is a great way to utilize your garden spot all year around.  Happy planting!

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)