Louisiana Gardeners Should Start Planting These Vegetables Now
If you've been waiting on Louisiana to actually feel like fall before starting that fall garden, you're gonna be waiting a while. We're still sweating just walking from the house to the truck, but believe it or not, right now is when we need to start thinking about those fall vegetables. August is a big month for fall gardens in Louisiana, and September opens the door for even more. I know. It sounds crazy.
We're out here dealing with heat indexes, mosquitoes big enough to carry off a small child, and grass that needs cutting every four days. Meanwhile, we're supposed to be thinking about broccoli and cabbage. But that's gardening in Louisiana.
When to plant a Fall Garden.
According to the LSU AgCenter, August and September are important months for getting a Louisiana fall vegetable garden going. What you plant and when you plant it can make a pretty big difference, especially since South Louisiana gets a longer growing season than the northern part of the state.
August Is When the Fall Garden Gets Rolling
August is kinda the starting line. The LSU AgCenter says Louisiana gardeners can plant things like bush snap beans and bush lima beans during August. You can also start working with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, shallots and several other fall vegetables.
And here in South Louisiana, we've got a little extra time. Late August is when South Louisiana gardeners can start lettuce seed and plant beets and Irish potatoes. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts can also start going into the garden as transplants around this time. But there's one pretty big problem. It's HOT. And that ground can dry out in a hurry. Seeds don't care that you've already watered once and you're ready to go sit inside in the air conditioner.
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LSU AgCenter experts say keeping the soil moist is a big deal when you're starting a fall garden during our late-summer heat. Insects can also be rough this time of year, so you've gotta keep an eye on those young plants. Basically, August gardening in Louisiana requires a little babysitting.
September Gives Us Even More Choices
Once September gets here, things really start getting interesting. You can start looking at carrots, radishes, spinach, turnips, mustard, kale, lettuce, English peas, onions, parsley and other cool-season vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can also be transplanted during the fall planting season.
And this is where living in South Louisiana has its advantages. Our growing season doesn't shut down nearly as quickly as it does farther north. In fact, LSU AgCenter planting recommendations show South Louisiana gardeners can keep planting several cool-season crops well into October and even November.
So don't think you've missed your chance just because September rolls around. Around here, we're just getting started.
Don't Get Too Excited About the Garlic Yet
Here's one place where Louisiana is a little different from some of those gardening charts you might see floating around online. You don't necessarily need to rush your garlic into the ground in September.
LSU AgCenter recommendations vary a little by guide, but generally put garlic planting from fall into November, with some guidance recommending waiting until October or later. Shallots have a much wider planting window.
That's why I always like checking Louisiana-specific information instead of some gardening calendar made for somebody living 900 miles north of us. Our weather plays by its own rules. Anybody who's lived here longer than about five minutes knows that.
Get That Dirt Ready Now.
Even if you aren't planting everything today, this is a good time to start getting your garden ready. Pull the weeds. Work the soil. Add some compost if you've got it. Make sure you've got a way to keep everything watered. Then figure out what you actually want to eat. Because I ain't planting six rows of something just so I can stare at it.
The cool part about a Louisiana fall garden is that you don't need a giant piece of property either. Raised beds and containers can work for plenty of these vegetables. And if you've never planted a fall garden before, this might be the year to try it. Start small. Plant a few things you know your family will eat. Keep 'em watered. Keep an eye out for bugs. Then see what happens.
Because even though it still feels like the middle of summer here in Southwest Louisiana, fall garden season has already started. Now I'm curious. What goes in the ground first at your house?
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Gallery Credit: Kat Mykals