So you want to grow garden fresh vegetables this fall. Where do you start? Simply looking at seed packets in catalogs or local nurseries will not get the job done. One must garden smartly if economical production and utilization are expected.

Once the decision to have a fall garden has been reached, a gardener must take action. One must pull out some of those plants that have been nurtured from “babies” in the spring to monsters now. This takes courage and faith.

It is recommend that all plants, weeds included, be removed except okra, cherry tomatoes and pole beans if the foliage is healthy. Large-fruited tomatoes may have some small ones still hanging on, but unless you have at least 20 to 25 good-sized fruit, pull them out. Don’t try to compost insect and disease-ridden plants — spider mites don’t compost.

Experts recommend you use transplants when growing tomatoes in the fall. With the right amounts of sun and water, they should survive.

Then, determine where to put the garden. You may need to think in terms of garden relocation. The major consideration for garden placement is sunlight. All vegetables require some sunlight; the most popular vegetables require full sun. “Full” sun means at least 8 hours of intense, direct exposure. If such exposure is not received by crops such as tomatoes, peppers and squash (vegetables that contain seed), the plants grow spindly, have weak stems, drop blooms and are generally nonproductive.

Right time for shade

Shade in the afternoon (after 3 p.m.) is wonderful; shade in the morning is acceptable. There are vegetables which produce passably in the shade. Generally, crops such as greens, broccoli, cauliflower and root crops (carrots, turnips), which do not produce a fruit with seed, will yield sparingly in semi-shaded areas. But even these crops will do better in a full sun condition. Crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans and cucumbers may not produce anything if grown in the shade. The production potential of the garden’s most popular vegetables depends solely on the amount of direct sunlight they receive.

Use shade-tolerant crops for planting between larger growing vegetables such as tomatoes. During the early establishment period of a crop such as tomatoes, leave several feet of vacant space between transplants in which short, fast-maturing, shade-tolerant vegetables can be produced.

Do not locate the garden within 6 feet of hedges, shrubs or trees. Not only do these larger, more permanent plants compete for light, but they also gobble up nutrients and water necessary for healthy vegetables.

Clear out the grass

If a new garden site has been selected and it was previously covered with grass, this turf must be removed. Don’t think that you can dig or till this existing grass into the garden soil and get rid of it. Even a well-tilled, pulverized garden soil will contain enough bermuda grass sprigs to cause troubles for years to come.

New garden areas are doomed before they begin if all bermuda and other lawn grass is not completely removed before tillage begins.

What about chemicals which might be applied to the grass to kill it rather than pulling it out? Yes, you’re in luck! There are several brand names which contain the weed and grass-killer glyphosate. These include Roundup and Kleenup. Check ingredients on labels for the term “glyphosate” and follow label instructions for application rate.

Once the sod has been removed, the garden area should be shoveled to a depth of 10-12 inches. Rototillers, when used in a new garden area, will not penetrate adequately. Rototillers can be used to loosen and mix shoveled areas. Apply 1 to 2 inches of coarse (sharp), washed sand and 2 to 3 inches of organic matter to the garden site surface and incorporate to improve the soil’s physical quality. The soil’s physical condition will have to be altered over a period of time rather than trying to develop desirable soil in a season or two. If you are making the effort to build a raised bed garden, don’t skimp on the soil which you put into it.

The addition of fertilizer is the next step. You have two options. You can add only one pound of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) per 100 square feet (10 feet by 10 feet) and use ammonium sulfate every three weeks at the rate of one tablespoon sprinkled around each plant and watered in as a side dress application for hybrid tomatoes and peppers.

Important choice

The second fertilization choice, and probably the one which will result in a more abundant harvest, is to use two to three pounds of a slow-release fertilizer (19-5-9, 21-7-14, 25-5-10) per 100 square feet of garden area. Even if slow-release fertilizer is used, it is still recommend to use ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) every three weeks at the rate of one tablespoon sprinkled around each plant and watered in as a sidedress application for the super productive hybrids. Horse or cattle, never fowl in the fall, manures may be substituted for commercial fertilizer and used at a rate of 60-80 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area.

After all ingredients have been added, mix the soil thoroughly and prepare beds on which to plant rows of vegetables. These beds should be 30-36 inches apart to allow for easy movement through the garden area when plants get larger. Pile and firm the planting beds then pre-irrigate the entire garden area by wetting with a sprinkler for at least two hours. Allow the area to dry for several days.

When growing tomatoes and peppers, it is easier to use transplants. However, the use of transplants alone does not insure bountiful, precocious fall production. What must be accomplished is rapid establishment of fall transplants. As hot and dry as the weather has been, some people think transplanting is risky. Transplants will survive hot temperatures and full sun if adequate moisture is available to the plant.

Proper timing is the most important factor in successful fall gardening. Regardless of variety selected or cultural practices used, if a gardener does not do the right thing at the right time, any chances of success are diminished.