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Fall Vegetables | Windmill Nursery’s
Guide for Fall Vegetables | Fall Vegetables are some of the easiest to grow and you can provide your family with high quality delicious foods. Foods you grow at home are freshly picked, so they do not start breaking down their own stored nutrients to stay alive on a grocery shelf. This way they will retain they nutrition and flavor. An added bonus is it good for the environment; less strain on farm land, less chemicals, less fuel use (not just yours, but also the farm equipment and delivery trucks), etc.
Why are Fall Veggies easy? Most of the work is done by Mother Nature. The winter rains water them and the cold induces them to produce sugars and flavor. All you have to do is prep the soil, plant them, fertilize, and some water until it rains.
| Soil
Great soil makes for Great Plants. Adding compost is the number one way to create great soil. Compost as it breaks down feeds beneficial soil organisms and your plants, but most importantly it turns to humus which combines with clay to give your soil that rich lose texture. This allows for water to drain well, hold more nutrients, and roots grow best! For new gardens it is best to use a Rotor Tiller or Shovel to loosen soil then mix in 2-3 inches of compost. For established gardens it is still recommended to mix in some fresh compost or manure. | 
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Planting
Now you are ready to plant! Not very complicated, but it needs to be done properly. Start by picking a sunny location for best results.
DO NOT PLANT DEEPER THAN THE SOIL THEY STARTED IN.
Make the holes just large enough for them to fit and press soil firmly around the root balls.
Many plants can be done from seeds, and some root crops (carrots) are best done from seeds. Just follow the instruction on the seed packs. Some plants start better in containers.
After planting, the best way to prevent weeds is to immediately mulch with bark. Bark has natural pre-immergent (weed prevention) properties. Bark also helps keep soil moist and temperatures cool in summer and warmer in the winter. As bark breaks down, it will add nutrients and organic matter to the soil.
Our favorite is micro bark; because it is small, it works well around small young plants, absorbs enough water so it does not float, and looks great (check out our own parking lot).
| Watering
Last but not least after planting, Water Your Plants because it is the best way to prevent transplant shock. Make sure to water them thoroughly because dry soil will absorb water away from your new plants.
Young plants usually need to be watered daily for the first week or two, along with a weekly thorough watering to keep the surrounding soil moist.
Once established they will require once or twice a week deep (thorough) watering until it starts to rain.
(If it does not rain for 2 weeks or more, make sure they are still moist)
Fertilizing
Fertilizing will begin several weeks after planting and/or as needed. Fall Veggies do not perform well with the same fertilizer as summer veggies. They like more nitrogen and some nitrogen fertilizers do not work in the winter when feeding is most important. Nitrogen fertilizers have to be broken down to an available form for the plant to take them up and some of the bacteria needed to do this are dormant when it is cold. Liquid fertilizers organic or non-organic (Miracle-Grow) will work in winter along with the recommended triple sixteen (16-16-16).
Pests
Pests include: Slugs, Snails, and Earwigs which can be controlled with Slugo or Slugo plus (which does Earwigs). We recommend you do this right away after planting and if problems start later.
The only other pest to worry about is Aphids which can be controlled with Oil Sprays if you happen to get them. All of these are organic and pet safe controls. You can use other products also.
Now it is time to choose plants….
| Windmill Nursery’s Fall Veggies | Leafy Plants
These are your leaf lettuces, spinach, etc. They are used in salads or for cooking stews, soups and yummy Holiday dishes. They can be picked as needed by harvesting the outer leaves or you can harvest the whole plant.
Leaf Lettuces (Romaine, La Roso) Spinach
Mustards Celery
Bok Chow
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| Head Plants
These are the ones that come to a head like Broccoli and Cabbage.
The heads are harvested all at one time and some plants like Broccoli may produce more than one head in a season. To best enjoy these veggies it is recommended to plant more than one crop a few weeks apart to extend the season. This way they do not all go the head (bolt) at the same time.
Broccoli Cabbage
Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts
Head lettuce (Butternut) |
| Root Plants
These are plants that produce roots that are harvested from the ground. Not all plants need to be pulled out at once, but there is an optimal size and time window to harvest each type. Carrots and Radishes should be grown from seed.
Onions Carrots
Beets Radishes
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| Peas
Most peas need a trellis or poles to grow on and can also be planted in intervals along with a spring planting to extend the season. Harvest when ready.
They can be grown from seed easily.
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