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When to plant fall crops in my area and when to start seeds

13 years ago

I ordered seeds from Bakers Creek and the plants are all beautiful. I think every seed germinated. This is my 2nd year of gardening and I am thinnking of ordering seeds to plant for a fall crop. Does anyone know what would grow in my area in the fall? I live in western NC. I would like to start seeds for broccoli, carrots, lettuce, beets, greens, and cauliflower. Would any of these be fall crops? If I order the seeds now should I start them indoors or out of doors to have the plants ready for fall plainting. I appreciate your help so much as our garden means a great deal to help with our food suppply in these hard times.

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Comments (5)

digdirt2
13 years ago
I hope you don't mind if I refer you to the Vegetable Gardening Forum as that is where you will find the most relevant discussions and the most info you are looking for.

We deal mostly with canning and preserving on this forum. ;)

Dave

PS: You might also want to check out the Southeast Gardening forum for info specific to your area.
bejay9_10
13 years ago
I agree with Dave. It was so confusing to me as to what to plant in my area. In zone 11 where I am (Calif. coastal), we plant our "fall" seeds in October, then usually wait until April to plant the "summer" seeds.

Actually, many seed packets will have a "when to plant" zone map pictured on them. Even so - I have found many microclimate zones that don't fit the entire picture either.

Bejay
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For fall crops I have a difficult time keeping seeds that are sown close to the surface evenly moist until they germinate. I wait for cooler fall weather before I start lettuce because it struggles in the heat and dry Santa Ana'a and struggling lettuce is not worth eating. Broccoli and cauliflower can be started now indoors to transfer out in sept. I am going to try leeks for the first time this year too and they supposedly germinate at temp 50 to 75 degrees so I plan to direct sow them at the same time as the lettuce- mid/late Oct.
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Do you know about when the average last frost date is? That's a pretty good guide for when to transplant seedlings that like warm weather - tomatoes, peppers (though they do well in the cooler fall too), eggplant, summer and winter squash, cucumbers, etc. Soil temp is helpful to know too. You can stick a meat thermometer into the soil to get that. Different vegs like different temps. When you seed packages say "as soon as the ground can be worked" it means it. If you aren't expecting a lot of rain or unusually cold temps, and you squeeze a fist full of soil together and have it crumble apart, the soil is ready. Peas, tatsoi, bok choi, spinach and other seeds like cool ground. I plant my peas when the forsythia bloom. Some of the cool weather transplants are broccoli, cabbage and kale. I try to get my warm plants in the ground when they're six weeks old. Their roots aren't so big and compact that they're disturbed much. It reduces something called transplant shock. I try to get my cool plants in the ground when they're around five weeks old. If you have a forecast for unexpected frost or even snow you can cover the seedlings with a sheet to give them a little protection.
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Thanks for posting that Brandon! This is my first year with a veggie garden and I was just telling my husband I needed to research when I needed to plant for my fall crops. Much appreciated!!
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direct sowing - Some things do best when direct sown, but it depends on the plant. Many things that don't like root disturbance and some vegetables are best when planted this way. winter sowing - This is often a less labor intensive solution. If you use milkjugs/2-liter bottles and poke drainage holes in the bottom (like frequently suggested in the Winter Sowing Forum), you shouldn't have to worry about the seed drowning or drying out. Do remember to provide partial shade so that the seeds don't cook in the covered containers. indoor sowing - This is the method I use for most of my seeds. I have a large rack system loaded with fairly closely spaced florescent bulbs of the right frequency (some 4100 K and some 5000 K) to approximate sunlight and timers to control the on/off cycle. Of course, when fully loaded, it does add to the electric bill. I tend to plant many of my seeds about a month before the last expected freeze date. Some adjustment may be needed for especially slow or especially fast growing plants.
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CA Kate z9
13 years ago
I would suggest that you visit your county's Ag Extension Service. I bet you'll find all sorts of useful information on planting times in your specific area of the USA.
ksrogers
13 years ago
Start broccoli now. Cabbage as well as brussels sprouts. Keep in mind there are less cold weather crops, and that includes beets and carrots. Greens and lettuce are usually cool weather, but many can grow in summer too. Some seeds can survive winters as can some herbs like thyme. I started thyme from seeds two years ago and they are huge plants now. Dill has now started to flower and I never even planted a single dill seed. The dill all sprouted from seeds that dropped from last summer and those plants came from the year before. I just hope my tiny cuke plants will get bigger soon. We finally had a single day of sunshine here after over 2 weeks of gloom and rain.
bejay9_10
13 years ago
Soil temperatures are a good way to decide when to plant seeds in your area. Some seeds will go dormant in winter and sprout in spring on their own time.

We have no real dormant perior here - so soil temperatures are important in determining when to sow seeds. That is why many gardeners sow seeds inside - under controlled (warmed conditions), to give the seed the temperatures they prefer. When the seedling is able to stand outside temperatures, it is then planted outside (with loving care).

You will find lots of information in the Vegetable Forum.

My 2 c's.

Bejay

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