Page 13 Fall Home & Garden | September 2024 Lincoln Daily News disappearing during the heat of summer, and reappearing in early fall is probably a cool season crop and one that you could try growing in your own fall garden. Some vegetables not only do not mind the cooler weather, they taste better because of it! Brussels sprouts, for example, have a long growing season, but the frosts in the fall are what sweeten the flavor. Many additional vegetables in the brassica family also taste better after a frost, such as kale and broccoli. The cooler weather causes plants to use sugars to avoid freezing, which gives us that sweeter flavor! Leafy Greens Leafy greens can be directly sown into the soil for a fall harvest. Plant the seed twice as deep as recommended on the packaging to aid germination in the cooler weather. For lettuce and spinach, grow different varieties of each in both spring and fall to encourage more successful germination. Add kale and chard to the fall (and spring) garden repertoire as both are extremely nutritious and very easy to grow. It is a matter of sowing the seeds into soil and keeping them evenly moist. Herbs like parsley and cilantro are also ideal for cooler weather as they tend to flower and form seeds in the warmer months. Root Vegetables Root vegetables such as carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips are perfect for an autumn garden as they have a relatively short growing season and will not mind a little frost. Plant these in late August or early September for a fall harvest. Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower can be planted as transplants from a garden center or started at home. Vegetables in the brassica family are often compromised by the cabbage moth caterpillars, which will be less of a problem in the cool weather. Wellestablished kale and chard from summer may even be able to overwinter with covering and be some of the first vegetables to renew and produce in the spring. Garlic When planting flower bulbs for spring, why not add some garlic bulbs as well? Healthy to eat and simple to grow, garlic comes in soft neck, hard neck, and elephant varieties. Soft neck has the longest storage life of up to a full year when stored properly, and the soft necks allow for it to be braided together and hung up for storage. Soft neck garlic has a milder flavor than the spicier hard neck variety. Hard neck garlic survives better in colder climates such as central Illinois and grows delicious scapes in the spring. Garlic scapes are a tasty delicacy and should be trimmed off in the spring so that the growing energy is directed toward bulb formation. Elephant garlic is actually more closely related to leeks but grows as a large bulb. Elephant garlic has a mild flavor and prefers warmer climates. Plant individual garlic cloves in fall after the soil has cooled, but before the ground has frozen– midSeptember to mid-October in central Illinois– and provide a layer of mulch. There is no need to water over the winter months. Water and fertilize in the spring when the green shoots appear. Continue --
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