By Elizabeth Warburton-Smith
Now that the weather is finally cooling off, it’s time to tend to our fall gardens. Lots of people here in the desert have much better success with their fall gardens than their spring and summer gardens. We can grow so much at this time of year and the weather is often gorgeous during the day and nice and cool at night; just perfect for fall plants. Be sure and continue to add organic matter like compost and earthworm castings to your soil so you can be assured of cultivating top quality soil for your crops.
Now is the time to enjoy kale, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, Asian greens, lettuce, arugula, Swiss chard, radish, carrots, onions, leeks, peas, beets, cabbage, endive, and one of my favorites -kohlrabi.
I was not at all familiar with kohlrabi until last year when I grew both green and purple kohlrabi for the first time. They are super easy to grow and take from 40-60 days to mature. They put off leaves like a cauliflower plant and then the stem starts to bulge out. Once the stem has gotten about 4 inches across, its time to harvest. Snip off the leaves and then peel the rest of the outer skin if you want to eat it raw. If you want to steam or saute it, you can leave the outer layer on as long as it is not too old or tough. The taste of kohlrabi is amazing I have to say! It’s a cross between a mild daikon radish, a mild turnip and jicama. Try it in a salad or steamed like new potatoes or turnips. It is so good!
For a more comprehensive look at planting by the calendar, try this online resource: https://www.communitygardensoftucson.org/wp-content/uploads/12MonthPlantingGuideRevD1-1.pdf
