Fall Gardening Talk at the Central Library Garden
By L.J. CRYE

Don Weber’s fall vegetable gardening talk in the Central Library garden attracted upwards of thirty gardeners.  It started early because people had begun to gather, so Don started giving out his handouts and talking about the seedlings he had brought—broccoli, collards, and bok choi—and the seeds he would have to give away, which were pelletized carrot seeds and spinach seeds.  The pelletized seeds are coated with a clay that makes them sprout more readily because it keeps them moist.

Don told us that the first frost is in early to mid-November in Arlington, which means later plantings of some warm weather crops, such as beans, corn, summer squash and cucumbers can result in fall harvests.  In addition, cool season crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, and peas, as well as bok choi will grow well during the cooler coming days.  There are also frost hardy crops, such as spinach, carrots, and turnips.

Fall plantings may have fewer pest problems.  However, some pests may be worse—the dreaded harlequin bug and cabbage worm are two examples.  Rotating crops or providing a break of one or more weeks between plantings of the same family of crops may help.  In addition, timely planting is key.  The handout provided a chart that gave not only dates for planting, but different depths for seeds than  would be used in the spring.  The handout can be found here:

Fall Gardening Talk Handout With Planting Dates for Arlington County.

In addition to paying attention to pests and planting at slightly different depths for fall, before you plant, you should restore nutrients removed by earlier crops by composting.  Once the plants begin to thrive, and grow, you can always protect them from the first frost to extend your season even further.  You can use plastic sheets,  old tablecloths, or even newspaper, but remember to remove them by mid morning.