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If you have separate garden beds for spring-summer vegetable crops, now is the time to have the soils tested. When I was a student in a vegetable-production class, we were required to prepare the vegetable beds before Thanksgiving. If the soil has problems, amendments should be applied and tilled into the soil. That allows more time for the amendments to disperse in the soil and correct the problem.
The soil may be graded into 3- or 4-foot-wide beds with pathways between them and covered with mulch or other materials to prevent weeds.
Fall crops
We have seen extremely healthy and productive vegetables this fall from the beds that were prepared during the later weeks of July and the new crops started during early September.
A big advantage of fall vegetable gardening is the opportunity to grow several crops during an average season. Harvesting began several weeks ago from the early planting, and the mid-season crop could be mature this month. Several years ago, we harvested green beans, cucumbers and sweet corn during the second week of December.
A late planting of several vegetables may be started yet this month. Depending on the weather, the last fall vegetable planting may be from now until the end date: broccoli, Swiss chard, mustard -- Sunday; turnips -- Nov. 20; carrots, Kohlrabi, lettuce, radish -- Nov. 30; and cabbage -- Dec. 31.
First freeze
To survive the early freezes, extra management will be required to cover some tender plants or place containers with water next to them that will absorb some cold from the air. Metal and plastic covers do not provide as much insulation as cardboard and burlap. The latter two materials should be kept dry, however. Tomato and pepper plants should be protected from temperatures below 35 degrees. Uncover the plants after the temperatures warm to above 40 degrees.
Harvest the fruit from plants soon after the cold temperatures cause the leaves to wither. Totally green tomatoes could be processed into chowchow. Green tomatoes that are at least half mature size should ripen later in storage. Probably, the best method of artificially ripening the fruit is to hang the entire plant upside down. First, you should wash the soil from the roots and be aware that later the falling leaves will be trashy. An easy method is to pick the fruit with stems and place them one layer deep on paper in shallow trays or boxes to be easily inspected. These containers may be stacked. They will ripen earlier in a warmer area and more slowly in a cooler area. Green tomatoes do not require light or darkness to ripen during the few weeks to four months in storage. Each week, harvest the ripe ones with the expected color, flavor and texture. Remove any that spoil.
Master Gardener training
Applications are being accepted through Dec. 3 for the 2010 Brazos County Master Gardener Training Course. For details, call 823-0129 or go to www.brazosmg.com.
* Write to Elmer Krehbiel, Master Gardener, c/o Brazos County Office, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 2619 Texas 21 West, Bryan, Texas 77803. His e-mail address is elmer.krehbiel@theeagle.com.
