RADIO TRANSCRIPT
August 28, 2023
Taylor Campbell

This is Taylor Campbell, horticulture extension agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Burke Center.

Fall doesn’t mark the end of gardening. The seasonal change offers a valuable window to establish a fall vegetable garden, ensuring a steady supply of produce throughout autumn. Cool-season vegetables thrive in the optimal conditions of warm days and cool nights. Late-season sweet corn and cold crops like cauliflower and cabbage benefit from increased sugar content, while carrots gain a pleasing crunch.

Strategic crop grouping, similar to spring techniques, prevents taller plants from shading shorter ones. To enhance germination, seed furrows should be moistened and soil kept damp until germination occurs. However, slower growth due to cooler nights prolongs maturation compared to summer.

Polyethylene row covers effectively extend the growth of frost-vulnerable crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers by shielding them from cold nights and trapping soil heat.

Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach thrive under polyethylene row covers, persisting until November or December, barring temperatures dropping below the teens. Adequate ventilation on sunny days prevents overheating.

A successful fall harvest includes beets, Bibb lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, snow peas, turnips, and more.

This has been Taylor Campbell, horticulture extension agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Burke Center. For more information, call us at 764-9480.