CONTRIBUTED BY DWAYNE THOMAS
OPINION —
If your garden looks tired in late October, you are not behind. You are right on time.
In Chambers County, October is not the time to walk away from the garden. It is the time to shift it. Our clay soils, mild winters and late first frost give us a fall gardening window that runs well into November, and what you do in the next two weeks will decide how healthy your soil is next spring.
What you can still plant right now
Forget what the seed packets say about “plant after last frost.” In fall, we plant around our first frost.
This week you can still get in:
For harvest this winter:
- Greens that love a light freeze: Collards, kale, mustard, turnip greens, spinach and lettuce. Lettuce sown every 10 days now will give you salads through December with a little protection. These crops actually get sweeter after a frost.
- Root crops: Radishes (ready in 25 days), carrots and beets. October soil is still warm enough for germination but cool enough they will not bolt.
- Herbs: Cilantro, dill, parsley and salad burnet do far better now than in August heat.
For harvest next year:
- Garlic: Plant in October for harvest next summer. This is the classic Alabama timing.
- Strawberries and onions: Local nurseries have them now. Fall planting lets roots establish before winter dormancy, which is why perennials and fruit do so well planted now.
- Shallots and perennial herbs: Sage, rosemary and thyme.
If you have empty beds, do not leave them bare.
How to care for your soil into winter
This is the most important part of a fall article for our area. Our red clay needs organic matter more than it needs fertilizer.
1. Test, do not guess. The Chambers County Extension office in LaFayette will run a soil test for about $10. In fall, you have time to get lime down if your pH is low, as it takes months to work into clay. Most Chambers County gardens sit at 5.5 and want to be at 6.0 to 6.5.
2. Mulch with what you have. Leaves are falling now. Mow over them and put a 3- to 4-inch blanket over any bed not in production. It prevents winter erosion, keeps soil microbes alive and stops that spring crust we all fight.
3. Plant a cover crop. If you are done for the year, plant crimson clover or winter rye this month. Clover fixes nitrogen, rye breaks up compaction and both were made for Zone 8 October planting. Till it under in late February and you will not need nearly as much fertilizer.
4. Do not till wet. Our clay destroys its structure if you work it after a rain. If it clumps in your hand, wait.
Protecting what you have
For late tomatoes and peppers still hanging on, have an old sheet ready. Focus your energy on leafy greens and roots that shrug off light freezes.
Three simple winterizers:
1. Water before a freeze: Moist soil holds four times more heat than dry soil.
2. Use row cover, not plastic: A $15 floating row cover from the farm supply will buy you 4 to 6 degrees and lets you harvest all winter. In Zones 7 and 8 you can often grow cool-weather crops all winter with minimal protection.
3. Cut back, do not pull: Leave brassica and okra roots in place to decompose. They leave channels for water and earthworms.
The fall garden is slower, cheaper and less buggy than the summer one. If you missed the spring window, this is your redemption.
If you want help, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a planting calendar specific to ZIP code 36862 that lines up with our frost dates.
Get out this weekend and plant something green. Your February self will thank you.
