What Vegetables Are You Planting for Fall/Winter 2009?

[Michelle W. Flannery]

A while back, I went through all the seed catalogs to find out exactly what all the cool weather crops are. I wanted to find out which ones I could grow in my southern garden. I found a huge number of plants, many available and easy to grow in my fall garden. Here's a list of the possibilities. Which ones will you grow?

Asparagus
Artichokes
Beets
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Radishes
Parsnips
Peas (many varieties)
Brussels Sprouts
Garlic
Eda Mame/Soy
Kohlrabi
Lettuce (many varieties)
Spinach
Radicchio
Corn Salad
Watercress
Celery
Cabbage (varieties)
Collards
Leeks
Mustard Greens
Horseradish
Celeriac
Turnips
Shallots
Asian Greens (many varieties)

[Stephanie Hankins]

What are the yellowing leaves? I am getting them!!!!!

[Gillian]

Hi Stephanie,
You asked about the yellowing leaves on tomatoes. As branches form from the central leader two branches will appear, one that is going to from the fruit and another one which is longer, is probably there to protect it while young. They grow straight and sometimes hang down. Supposedly the sooner you cut these off the better, I mostly just cut them off as they began to yellow, and this allows more light in to where the fruit is forming.

[Joel LeGrand]

I planted broccoli, cabbage,collards. I am going to plant a little each week until frist frost.

[Everett McDonald]

This past weekend I planted my collard greens, giant noble spinach, early wonder beets, and red cored chantenay carrots.
Come the middle of october I'll plant garlic and potatoe onions. Garlic is one of my favorite vegetables to grow, the variety
Kettle River Giant keeps easily for 9+ months. I plant about 100 bulbs a year.

[Tamra]

I have never heard of a potato onion, but just googled it. I read it is easy to grow. I wonder if I can grow it in the winter in my zone 6 garden? What zone are you in? It sounds a little like a walking onion, which I do grow. Have you grown walking onions? If so, how does the potato onion compare?

[Marla Bays]

Michelle,
Pardon my ignorance. I'm curious - what is corn salad? I'm here in Central Texas in the worst drought on record debating whether or not to plant anything for fall or just amend the soil and let it rest until it rains - hopefully soon.

[Michelle W. Flannery]

Hi Marla. I've never grown Corn Salad. I've only read about it (after I made the above list).
Corn Salad is also called Lambs lettuce and Fetticus, but is more commonly known as Mache. I think the name depends on where you live. It's grown mostly in Europe, and is considered a gourmet green. Not grown for mass market in the US, but I think it is a common crop in gourmet/restaurant gardens.

It's a biennial, planted in the fall if you want an early spring crop, especially if you life in warmer climates. It takes 60-90 days to mature from seedling. Small seeded varieties are said to have more flavor, but you might prefer trying the large seeded kind because they have some heat resistance. Mache forms a rosette of leaves the first year, and a seed stalk the second. Leaves are slightly round, and grow up to 6 inches long. I understand it tastes a bit like spinach, and can be used in a salad.

Check out your seed catalogs or a local nursery if you have one. It might be a nice fall/winter crop for your garden.

[Tamra]

At the risk of sounding cynical, I have grown corn salad. We did not like it. I find, like all those fancy gourmet weed greens, it's way over rated. The one advantage it is will take really cold temps below freezing.

Marla if you do let your garden sit for the winter, sow a drought tolerant cover crop, that will help improve the soil. I find the one disadvantage of having a large winter garden is that I never get to grow green manure crops.

[Letti]

About the middle to the end of September, I will be seeding collards, beets, carrots, lettuce, radishes, spinach, celery and shallot for the fall season. By October I will plant garlic, onions, arugula and what ever I missed. I am still enjoying some warm weather with cool evenings, nights and mornings. The butterflies are still busy around here laying their eggs. Watercress I would love to grow, as it is another of my favorite greens. I also want to plant some fava bean, love young, raw fava beans. I cannot believe that summer is giving way to fall.