Just the other day I received an email from a Forsyth County resident about a cucumber plant that was in decline. He wanted to know what to do to get it back to \u201cnormal.\u201d My response was, \u201cThere is nothing to do. It\u2019s the end of the season for that cucumber plant, so pull it up and start thinking about a fall garden.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As summer vegetables stop producing, it\u2019s time to start planning and preparing fall gardens. One advantage of gardening in the fall is cooler temperatures that make gardening more pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another advantage is that most fall vegetables are leafy, green plants that don\u2019t require pollinators to produce the parts we eat. Gardeners can use low-tunnel hoop houses to protect their plants from pests and to capture a few more growing days out of the fall season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to excluding pests, covering hoop houses in shade cloth blocks out some of the heat from the sun, allowing us to plant cool season vegetables earlier. Later in the season, the shade cloth traps heat from the earth inside the hoop house and can raise the temperature around the plants by a few degrees. Some cool-season vegetables can overwinter in the garden for an early spring harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because they take longer to mature, some fall vegetables are best purchased as transplants. These include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Vegetables that can be planted as seeds include beets, bunching onions, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension recommends this list of cultivars of cool season vegetables that do well in Georgia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broccoli<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Marathon\u2019, \u2018Packman\u2019, \u2018Patriot\u2019, \u2018Premium Crop\u2019, \u2018Bravo\u2019, \u2018Decathlon\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cabbage<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Blue Dynasty\u2019, \u2018Bravo\u2019, \u2018Early Round Dutch\u2019, \u2018Rio Verde\u2019, \u2018Green Jewel\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carrot<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Chantenay\u2019, \u2018Scarlet Nantes\u2019, \u2018Sweetbites\u2019, \u2018Sweet Delight\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cauliflower<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Absolute\u2019, \u2018Early Snowball\u2019, \u2018Graffiti\u2019, \u2018White Magic\u2019, \u2018Symphony\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collard greens<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Blue Max\u2019, \u2018Georgia Southern\u2019, \u2018Hevi-Crop\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kale<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Vates\u2019, \u2018Dwarf Siberian\u2019, \u2018Blue Armor\u2019, \u2018Blue Knight\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lettuce <\/strong>\u2013 \u2018Butterhead\u2019, \u2018Romaine\u2019, \u2018Buttercrunch\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mustard greens<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Florida Broadleaf\u2019, \u2018Southern Giant Curled\u2019, \u2018Red Giant\u2019, \u2018Savannah\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onion, green <\/strong>\u2013 \u2018White Portugal\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onion, dry bulb<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Burgundy\u2019, \u2018Excel\u2019, \u2018Grano\u2019, \u2018Red Creole\u2019, \u2018Savannah Sweet\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Radish <\/strong>\u2013 \u2018Cherry Bell\u2019, \u2018Scarlet Globe\u2019, \u2018Champion\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spinach<\/strong> \u2013 \u2018Melody\u2019, \u2018Winter Bloomsdale\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n