Growing in North Idaho: Season extenders for a fall garden
Christina Zampich
Floating row covers pull double duty protecting your garden from early frosts in the fall and late frosts in the spring.
Low tunnels can be made from metal support and row cover fabric, or PVC pipe and thick mil plastic as shown here.
Using a floating row cover inside a low tunnel offers even more protection from frost damage.
Hardy greens, like spinach, kale, and arugula will grow well into fall tucked inside a low tunnel.
Sow fall greens in plastic gallon milk jugs — it just like a tiny greenhouse!
It seems we just survived that unbearably hot weather that parched our gardens and dared to think “real summer” had finally arrived. Now those pesky meteorologists are using that dreaded word “Frost.” How can we take advantage of lovely fall afternoons and stretch a few extra weeks from our vegetable gardens?
Two Ideas:
• Floating row covers
• Supported row covers
Floating row covers are lightweight synthetic fabrics available at garden stores. They are made of a spun or knit fabric with varying degrees of light transmission and different weights. The fabric allows for penetration by rain or water. A floating row cover is laid directly over a row or area of plants. Look for a medium weight cover which will protect against light frost. Medium weight transmits 75-85% of available light. It can be applied in September to help keep plants alive into the fall.
Lay the row cover fabric over the plants you want to protect. Anchor the sides securely to prevent the wind from lifting it or whipping it about. You may want to vent the cover on some of those very warm September days, but it can offer protection for the colder nights.
A variation is a low tunnel or supported row cover. You can use the same fabric, to cover semi-circular supports forming a low tunnel over a row of plants. A heavy gauge wire (9 or 10 gauge) could be cut in 3 to 5-foot pieces (how tall are the plants you want to protect?) and stuck into soil with the ends about 16 to 32 inches apart forming U-shaped supports. Drape the fabric over the hoops and anchor the sides with pins or other weights. Gather and secure the fabric at the ends of the tunnel. On warm sunny days, leave the ends open for ventilation. Gather the fabric again to close the tunnel overnight.
If you take care of your garden fabric, you can use it next spring to get a head start on earlier planting by covering your tender seedlings. Just as in the fall, you can protect your plants from frosts that could wipe them out. In both spring and fall we have many days conducive to starting or continuing our garden crops if we protect them from those occasional frosts.
If you are a gardener, you are an experimenter. You may be able to eke out a few more weeks of luscious produce, with the use of fabric row covers.
Want to try to fall seed sowing? Think cool season crops such as lettuce, kale or other cabbage family plants like Swiss chard or collards. Place them in the warmest area of your garden and cover with fabric.
You could also try an empty milk jug as a tiny greenhouse. (Do your kids need a science project?) Cut the milk jug half-way up on three sides so it hinges back. Fill the base with soil. Plant a few seeds and let the top close into place. The cap on top can be removed for venting. When it is very warm, hinge the top back during the afternoon.
In any case, spend these lovely autumn afternoons in your garden and enjoy your harvests.
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Christina Zampich is a Certified Idaho Master Gardener. The University of Idaho Extension, Kootenai County Idaho Master Gardener program is located in the UI Research Park, 721 S. Lochsa St., Post Falls. Learn more at https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/county/kootenai/garden or on Facebook. Visit us in person, email kootenaimg@uidaho.edu, or call 208-292-2525. IMG services are free to the public.
