When to start fall gardens?

When does everyone start outdoor sowing for their fall gardens? I'd like to do a garden this fall as well, but dont know when I should start..

Also are their any other socal high desert gardeners on DG?

Wow this forum has been kinda slow lately.

As as update to my question.. still haven't found a decent answer anywhere. All the things I have found arent suitable for my desert conditions in socal. If that makes any sense. So I decided to start it now, cant hurt anything.. hopefully.

Yesterday I sowed 4 broccoli seeds and 3 okra seeds (attempt 2). Fingers crossed they do alright.

Hi Googlie4gardens,

Yeah, it has been very quiet here. . I saw your question but have yet to try vegetables. Good luck with yours! Hopefully you can make them work okay even with the desert conditions! =)

Found this for you. I hope it will be of some help to you.
I'm thinking that everyone is too hot to be on the computer or working in their gardens!

Late maturing crops - Approximate maturity 90 days. Plant by mid July for fall harvest, later for spring harvest.
ROOTCROPS

Beets
Carrots
Parsnip
Rutabaga
Globe Onions

LEAFCROPS

Brussells Sprouts
Cabbages
Cauliflower
Fava Bean

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Mid-season crops - Approximate maturity 60 days. Plant by mid August. Use any of the dates from above as well as the Best Dates below.
ROOTCROPS

Early Carrots
Leek
Turnip
Kohlrabi

LEAFCROPS

Early Cabbages
Winter Cauliflower
Collards
Perennial Flowers
Perennial Herbs
Swiss Chard

---

Early maturing crops - Approximate maturity 30 days. Plant by mid September. Use the dates from the previous page as well as the Best Dates below. The latest dates are for warmer climates, later frosts, or protected plantings.
ROOTCROPS

Chives
Bunching Onions
Radishes

LEAFCROPS

Broccoli
Cover Crops
Leaf Lettuces
Mustard
Spinach
Lawn seed

Thanks for the reminder. I want to plant some Fall crops. I know general directions say to plant in July, but that is for areas that get early cold, I believe. Knowing that we can easily have 100 degrees still in Oct, I hope I am not too late. Last year I planted broccoli and brussels sprouts from 4 paks in April. They started off well, but as the weather warmed and got hot, they went dormant, but did not die. In late fall they picked up again and in Dec. when we had all that rain the horses were let out of their flooded corrals and they had a fine time eating them up - down to and including the roots! Amongst other things. I have planted in pots this summer, but I know the root crops will do better in ground - so do the gophers though.

Thanks for the responses! SkeptikSharon and Weegy you may not be in in the desert but you are sure close!

Sharon- you "have yet to try vegetables"? What do you grow?

Weegy- Thanks for that info!! Do you think those dates would apply for up here? I always wonder if our elevation should be taken into consideration. Desert mixed with high elevation doesnt really make an ideal garden, especially given its august the hottest time of yr. Do you plan on a fall garden?

QuiltyGirl- It sounds like the world is against you haha! Sorry to hear it! We have field mice and squirrels tunneling all over our yard! I had 6 lily of the valley bulbs planted... they started sprouting and then just died. I pulled them up to find the roots and bulbs were completely gone and all that was left was what was sticking out of the ground. After digging up all the tunnels in the area I planted 2 gardenias. Well one I planted exactly where the lily of the valleys were and it too had its roots eaten with just measly sticks sticking out of the ground. So I gave up on planting in that area anymore haha! Hopefully when my mint explodes I can pick it all and stuff it in the tunnels..

I found this guide for your area, may be more helpful to you. I have to admit, I'm not sure about desert and elevation veggie gardens. The only thing we will probably plant for the fall is fava beans, otherwise we usually just have a summer garden. I hope this might help you more.

http://letsgrowveggies.com/california/92392/fall_vegetable_planting_guide/

Weegy!! That is a really cool site!! You rock!

This is actually my first year doing a garden.. and boy has it been interesting! haha! I've killed so many things and has so many things thrive. Its been a ride. Probably bc my over excitement and lack of planning or researching haha! The one thing I have learned is there is absolutely no way of getting around not having a shade cloth up here. Its just too hot! On cloudy days the trees all look sad and burnt. I've almost considered not doing anything this fall and just research and prepare. But now that I have caught gardening fever I fear I will never be able to give up a season haha! Good Luck with your Fava beans, I hope they do very well!! Thanks again for all your help, one day I will quit over analyzing :)

Weegy-thank you for that website if does rock. Looks like I need to get going.

G4G - sounds like gophers eating your roots. Do not depend on those creeps staying only in that area. One thing that several of us have done is make "baskets" shaped a little larger than your nursery pot that you put in the hole before putting you bulb or root ball into it. Wear leather gloves, lol, unless you enjoys
Wearing scratches. I love your enthusiasm it is a continuing learning experience.

Well , you're both so very welcome! (Um, I used to rock but if I rocked now, I'd break something in my body!!) I hope your gardens flourish with veggies galore!
Googlie, we do fava beans most every year, they do very well here!
Good luck, let us know how it goes.

That is a great link. Thank you.

Googlie - good luck with your fall garden. It is indeed a challenge to garden in high desert areas. I am in the valley and gardening is much easier down here.

I also used to only have a vegetable garden in the summer. I tend to not pull up any of my summer crops until really late, as long as they are still producing. And then by the time I clear out the garden, it is too late to put in any of the fall and winter crops. But, this year, I am going to have the opportunity to expand my veggie growing. I took out all the lawn in my front yard over the course of the past year and a half, and expanded my vegetable growing area by putting a big bed in the front yard. Now, I have room to put in fall crops while still being able to keep some of the summer producers into the fall. Recent photo showing some tomatoes draping down the wall in the front, along with several varieties of eggplants. Behind them are the bush beans, bell peppers and cantaloupes. In the rear are tomatoes and squashes - the tree behind them is a persimmon tree. Interspersed elsewhere in the front yard with my other plants are strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, and cucumbers. I still do have a veggie patch in the back yard where I grow trellised plants like long beans since I don't think the neighborhood association would like that "look" in the front yard.

That is really looking good Soils, it has filled in nicely. I would think the trellised bean could work. After all, there are trellised vines and roses!