I wanted to plant a fall garden but haven’t yet. Do I just need to wait till next spring? LR

You’ve probably missed the window for some fall crops, but there are quite a few options if you haven’t planted yet.

Most vegetable crops can be divided into two groups: tender and semi-hardy. Tender vegetables should have been planted by now. These would include beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash, pumpkins, and tomatoes. These vegetables are called tender because at the first frost they are done, so they need to produce their crops before our temperatures start to dip below freezing.

Semi-hardy are vegetables that can tolerate a little cold in the form a few light frosts, but once we have a solid freeze, they are done as well. The window has closed on even a few of them, but here’s some you can still plant: collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, onions, peas, radish, rutabaga, spinach, swiss chard, and turnips.

There’s another group of vegetables that fit in the hardy category. These vegetables will survive the winter so you can expect a harvest next year. These would include onions, garlic, and leeks.

Most all the semi-hardy vegetables can be started from seed with the exception of onions which are typically come in what they call “sets” and of course garlic.

The fall garden rules are basically the same as the summer garden rules except it’s usually more enjoyable to be out in the garden.

If you grow crops every year and haven’t done a soil test recently, now would be a good time since your summer garden may have depleted some nutrients. To get a soil test for your garden bed, just get a bucket and a hand trowel and head for the garden.

For best results you’ll want to gather several samples from around your garden - we like to recommend 20 samples. Be sure to dig down about 6 inches because the test is calibrated for a depth of 6 inches. After your have your sampled soil in your bucket, pick out all the debris, stir it up, and fill about a sandwich bag with your sample. Next, bring that sample to the Tulsa County OSU Extension office at 4116 E 15^th Street. The cost of the test is $10 but it’s the best $10 you are likely to spend on your garden. In about 2 weeks you’ll receive your results and you’ll then know how to best supplement your soil for optimal results.

When talking about gardens and even fall gardens we oftentimes neglect to mention one of my favorite things to grow - garlic.

If you are new to growing garlic, it’s pretty simple. The first thing you will need to decide is what kind of garlic are you going to grow. There are a lot of varieties that offer slightly different tastes so feel free to experiment. OSU recommends: German Red, Spanish Roja, Inchelium Red, and Silver Skin. These can all be ordered from a variety of online suppliers if you can’t find them locally. But don’t be afraid to experiment with something you’re not familiar with. Sometimes this is how we find our new favorites.

After getting your garlic bulbs, planting is pretty simple. Garlic isn’t too picky about where it is planted but it will do best if planted in a location that receives full sun and in soil that drains well. Sandy loam is the best since its texture lends itself well to helping those bulbs grow. Before planting you can work little organic nitrogen into the soil using something like blood meal.

When you get your garlic to plant, you will likely have several garlic bulbs. You’ll want to break those bulbs up with your hands and plant the larger, outside cloves. Plan on planting them about 2 inches deep with the pointed end up. Allow 4-6 inches between cloves for good bulb growth.

If you are used to growing large plants like tomatoes or cucumbers that take up a lot of space, garlic is great because you can get a lot out of a small space.

After you plant and cover the garlic cloves with soil, cover them with a healthy layer of mulch. This will help maintain soil temperatures and minimize weeds.

During the fall, these garlic cloves will send up some small green shoots. However, most of the action is going on underground as the garlic works on its root system.

Also, just because you don’t see a lot happening above ground, you’ll still need to keep them watered during the winter if we don’t get much natural moisture.

Flash forward to late June or early July and you will notice the leaves on your garlic starting to turn yellow or brown. This tells you that it’s harvest time.

To harvest, just dig your garlic bulbs from the ground gently using a trowel, shovel, or garden fork. The harvested garlic will need to be “cured” in a dry, shaded area for 4 to 6 weeks. Garages are great for this or a greenhouse if you have one. After this process has been completed, carefully remove the stalks doing your best to leave the outer skin intact. When stored in the refrigerator, garlic can last for several months. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org