Fall is prime time for veggie gardens

While fall is when vegetable gardeners harvest their crops in many parts of the country, in the deserts of Arizona, it’s time to plant. Everything from artichokes to kale to turnips and much, much more. And you can keep on planting many vegetables right through the winter and then do some more in the spring.

Sometimes, it can be tough to know what to plant in your garden and when. Your winter squash, for example, should already have been planted in July. If you missed planting them, wait until February-May of next year and you can try again with summer squash. But you can get out there right now with broccoli, bok choy and cauliflower or chard, beets and lettuce – most all of the vegetables of which we eat the root, leaves or parts of the stem.

A lot of planting dates depend on the elevation of your home and garden. If you crave Brussels sprouts, plant them from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1 at 1,000 to 2,000 feet or from Aug. 15 to Oct. 1 at 2,000 to 3,000 feet. It takes transplants of sprout seedlings about 100 to 120 days to get to harvest, so they might not make it for Thanksgiving dinner.

It’s tough to keep track of all these dates and instructions, but you can find great information on our Certified Partner’s websites: Harper’s Landscape and Garden Centre in Phoenix, and The Magic Garden Nursery in Tucson.  You can also find great charts and advice online from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. They’ll tell you what to do wherever you live.

For more tips, help and information on all your home improvement projects inside and out, visit Arizona’s largest collection of homeowner DIY advice and information at Rosieonthehouse.com.

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