DeSoto Civic Garden Club Sprouts Fall Children’s Garden
Growing seasonal vegetables in fall has a lot of advantages for both the garden and the kitchen. Cooler weather makes for happier plants, lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots, and radishes thrive in cooler temperatures. Common summer pests like aphids, beetles, and caterpillars slow down in cooler weather. Cool season vegetables many times taste sweeter after a light frost as the cold triggers sugar concentrates in leaves and roots improving flavor.
Efficient garden use as the cooler temperatures make it more pleasant to work in the garden and less frequent watering is needed because evaporation slows in fall. Fresh greens, roots, and brassicas are giving you homemade produce deep into late fall and even winter (with row covers or cold frames).
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula, etc) take only 30-45 days to maturity (typical time from transplanting or sowing to harvest under favorable conditions. Cooler weather slows growth, so planting earlier is safer) late September/October. Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard take 50-60 days so mid-September planting. Broccoli, Cabbage and Cauliflower 60-85 days so early to mid-August from transplants here. Beets and Carrots 50-60 days so late August to September and Radishes only 25-35 days, October even November as these are fast growing.
At the Sprouts Children’s Garden located at Longview Point Baptist Church Hernando, DeSoto Civic Garden Club members Jane Borgognoni, President, Sheila Deese, Emilie Michael, Donna Barney & Dawn Weiss removed plants from the spring/summer flower beds, amended with fresh potting mix, an organic fertilizer and then using transplants rather than seeds for the 2 garden beds. Some vegetables with interesting textures, shapes, tastes, and colors were planted including cucumbers, lettuces, and Chinese cabbages!
Garden Bush Cucumbers (counting back from anticipated first frost date) these cucumbers only need 53 days to maturity, this is a space saver that produces an abundance of smooth cucumbers that are best picked with 6-8” long. A little frost cloth and we may get an extended harvest.
Black Seeded Simpson lettuce has a crisp textured heads, light green, frilled and crumpled leaves with a delicate flavor, and Early Prizehead lettuce, which is frilly curled leaves a loose-leaf variety, light green and tinged with bronze and red. You may pick the leaves at any time needed or when they reach the size of your hand or cut the entire plant. Rich in potassium with moderate amounts of vitamin A. Both lettuces are harvestable in 45-50 days.
Six different Chinese cabbages were planted, each with unique growing shapes and habits. Beka Santoh is a vigorous loose head variety, the leaves are light green, frilled and slightly serrated. The petioles are white, this fast-growing cabbage may be harvested in just 20-29 days.
Green Rocket Chinese cabbage is a Michihill Chinese cabbage known for its sweetness and crisp leaves. The unform frilly leafed cylindrical heads grow to 18” and 4 to 4 ½ pounds, it is a vigorous grower maturing in just 70 days.
Aichi is a head type Chinese cabbage and is a very old traditional Chinese cabbage variety and produces large barrel-shaped heads with succulent midribs. The tender leaves have a mild, sweet cabbage flavor and compliments other vegetables, matures in 70-79 days.
Bok Choy is a nutrient dense food often used in stir-fries with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic, a beautiful dark green Chinese cabbage that is quick growing only 45-50 days to mature.
Blues Chinese Cabbage is a nappa head type cabbage has medium green leaves and can weigh 4.5 lb.
And finally, Kogane a Fluffy Top type, it means gold in Japanese. When mature the loose, fluffy head type can weigh up to 8 lbs and has a yellow core, surrounded by crumpled green outer leaves.
Cabbages have many uses, sukiyaki, kimchi, stir-fries, pickling, salads and soups. Three hours after planting we received a glorious rain to help settle in these plants. We look forward to the care and attention and watering the Sprout gardeners will care and tend to their garden.
The DeSoto Civic Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., and The Garden Clubs of Mississippi Inc., Hills and Delta District.
