Plant in the summer for fall gardens

ELLEN PEFFLEY

Plant in the summer for fall gardens

August has rolled around, and even though it is hot, it is time to plant seeds for the fall vegetable garden.

Here are some crops that will germinate with high soil temperatures. We’ll start with what are usually summer crops, but they can be planted now and provide plentiful harvest before cold temperatures set in.

Summer squash. Seed will germinate quickly in hot temperatures, seedlings establish quickly, and new fruit will be ready to pick in 6 to 8 weeks. Green and gray zucchinis are some of the hardiest plants, somewhat more resilient than yellow crookneck or straightneck squash.

Peppers and tomatoes. Transplants of both are still being sold in nurseries and garden centers. Choose plants that have retained good green color, have yet to set fruit (or if there is small fruit, cut them off before planting); avoid large plants if possible as the larger the top growth of a plant, the more difficult it is for roots to establish. Small fruited, like cherry tomatoes, have a high fruit set with high temperatures, while larger fruited varieties languish and stop fruiting with high temperatures. But fall planted tomatoes will be maturing when temperatures moderate, which expands the options of varieties and larger fruited varieties will begin to set fruit.

Bush beans. Follow the same rationale as for summer squash.

Beets. There are many options with beets. Try growing several varieties of beets. The ever-popular Red Ace is the standard for dark red beets. Try golden or white beets, which are not quite a vigorous as the red but have a sweet palate. Chioggia beets have alternating circles of red and white and great fun when they are harvested.

Carrots. Deep rooted carrots like the Imperial types or Chantenay types have the potential to be large, long roots. small types like Thumbellinas, will mature early.

Cabbage. Regular head cabbages will germinate in warm soils. Crisp heads will form as the days cool.

Swiss chard. An excellent greens that germinate and grow in high temperatures. Swiss chard will continue to put out new leaves until a hard freeze.

Fall gardens bring much joy when days cool. Try planting one this season.

Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.