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2025 Fall Garden Thread

Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:21 am
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:21 am
Welcome to the 2025 Fall Garden Thread.

Here are some useful resource links:

Gardening info/learning:
Home Gardening Certificate Course
LSU AgCenter Main Page
LSU AgCenter Vegetable Planting Guide
Davesgarden.com
Seedsavers Exchange learning page
Epic gardening raised bed plans

I follow the LSU AgCenter website and planting guide very closely for just about everything garden related. Davesgarden.com is really useful for their watchdog section which gathers ratings on different seed companies and nurseries. And the Seedsavers learning page is a very easy to use website that is great for beginners. It’s streamlined and very easy to understand.

Seed/plant websites:
Harris Seeds
Park Seed
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com)
Reimer seeds
Gurney’s
Migardener.com


Here are some useful links to learn about different products for disease and pests:

Organic disease and pest management:

Neem Oil
Liquid Copper
Pyrethrin
Spinosad
Bacillus Thuringiensis
Hydrogen Peroxide / Hydrogen Peroxide mixing chart for garden use


Non-organic disease and pest management:

Fungicides:
Daconil
Mancozeb

Insecticides:
Bonide Eight (permethrin)
Sevin dust
Liquid Sevin (Zeta-Cypermethrin)

Target Planting Dates for common Louisiana Fall Vegetables:
(All of this is from the Planting Guide)

Beets (direct seed):
S LA 8/15 - 11/15
N LA 9/15 - 11/15

Broccoli:
S LA 8/1 - 10/31
N LA 8/1 - 10/31

Brussels Sprouts:
S LA 8/15 - 10/31
N LA 8/15 - 10/15

Cabbage:
S LA 8/15 - 11/30
N LA 8/1 - 11/30

Carrots (direct seed):
S LA 8/15 - 11/15
N LA 8/15 - 10/15

Cauliflower:
S LA 7/1 - 10/15
N LA 7/15 - 10/31

Collards (direct seed):
S LA 7/15 - 10/31
N LA 7/15 - 10/31

Garlic (cloves):
S LA 9/1 - 11/30
N LA 9/1 - 11/30

Mustard and Turnip Greens (direct seed):
S LA 7/15 - 11/10
N LA 7/15 - 10/31

Kale (direct seed or plants):
S LA 7/15 - 11/15
N LA 7/15 - 10/31

Lettuce (direct seed of plants):
S LA 9/15 - 11/15
N LA 9/15 - 10/30

Spinach (direct seed):
S LA 9/15 - 11/15
N LA 9/1 - 11/15

Allium Crops
Cole Crops
Squash and Pumpkins

For cucumbers, the planting guide gives fall planting dates (direct seed) of 8/1 - 9/15 for South LA, and 7/15 - 8/31 for North LA.

For tomatoes, if you do heat tolerant varieties you can start transplanting those in mid July. If you don't want to do heat tolerant varieties, you could start seeds mid July and transplant mid to late August. I'd recommend doing an "early" variety that way you have a greater chance of a high yield before the first frost.

LSU Ag Fall Harvest Guide

Please let me know if there are other useful links to relevant information that you'd like me to add.
Posted by Mr Sausage
Cat Spring, Texas
Member since Oct 2011
15286 posts
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:41 am to
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/6/25 at 8:05 am to
I meant to make this thread sooner but vacation, work, school and covid has been overwhelming my household lately.

Don’t know how much of a fall garden I’ll have this year. I still have peppers growing. I’ll definitely do some cabbage. But right now I’m letting pumpkin vines run wild through the garden. They’re definitely starting to spread and by October I’m sure they’ll have completely taken over.

ETA: Also still have watermelon growing. Harvest a couple so far this year but I'm definitely not seeing the same production as previous years.
This post was edited on 8/6/25 at 8:25 am
Posted by jose
Houma
Member since Feb 2009
29642 posts
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:20 am to
Glad we have this thread because I didn't want to make an entire thread.

I had lots of problems with weeds the last few years. If I was to spray roundup in my garden to help kill the weeds, how long would I have to wait before I plant?

I have tried everything and nothing helps.
Posted by Mr Sausage
Cat Spring, Texas
Member since Oct 2011
15286 posts
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:49 am to
Somehow my daughter picked tomatoes yesterday.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:17 am to
Pulled a vine borer out of one of my blue hubbard vines yesterday. I noticed the hole and some frass and it was hanging out just inside where I could see it. Used a paperclip and jabbed that little SOB and pulled it out. Dang things are relentless. I know I won't get all of them, but hopefully the vines send down enough roots to survive for the most part. I went for the "power in numbers" approach this year.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86141 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 11:20 am to
quote:

Pulled a vine borer out of one of my blue hubbard vines yesterday
May try those as a trap crop next time. The internet says it may work.
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
60495 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 12:59 pm to
quote:

Somehow my daughter picked tomatoes yesterday.
I bet I have 60 small heat stressed tomatoes on my vines. Thinking of one final picking and salsa making this weekend. Hell, even the birds are tired of them.

All in all I think I picked over 200 tomatoes off my four plants. It was a banner year. I normally would celebrate anything more than 50-60.

Fall garden will be: broccoli, cauliflower, green onion, lettuces, tendergreen mustard. Bought seed this morning, so will be ready. Debating starting the broccoli and cauliflower early, or holding seed back and just buying plants.
Posted by RougeDawg
Member since Jul 2016
7259 posts
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:20 am to
Is broccoli less susceptible to cabbage worms in the fall? Mine got destroyed this spring.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/10/25 at 9:17 am to
Not sure about the spring but I get cabbage worms in the fall. Usually manageable with BT sprays.
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
60495 posts
Posted on 8/10/25 at 4:56 pm to
Never had a huge problem w them. And they are manageable in the fall. Never planted in the spring
Posted by Devious
Elitist
Member since Dec 2010
29370 posts
Posted on 8/11/25 at 5:12 pm to
I'm in this year. Got all of my seeds in the summer. Started broccoli and cauliflower in mid-July. Will transplant in late August or early September.

Okra and peas are going strong, and I'll add a row of snap beans this week. Then, it'll be broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, and sweet peas. Should keep me busy until spring.
Posted by Hobie101
Member since May 2012
861 posts
Posted on 8/13/25 at 7:39 am to
Lizards seem to be feasting on some of my crops. Any recommendations on how to stop this?
Posted by Mr Sausage
Cat Spring, Texas
Member since Oct 2011
15286 posts
Posted on 8/13/25 at 8:05 am to
first you start a roux.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/13/25 at 7:18 pm to
Looks like I got my first pumpkin!


Still got a couple watermelons growing. Will probably pull them after this. Had enough.


I ordered some beet seeds. Ruby Queen variety since it was one that was recommended in the planting guide. I’m not a big fan of beets, but maybe I’d be more inclined to eat them if I grew my own. Anyone has any tips on growing them? Should I wait till it gets cooler?
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86141 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 10:34 am to
quote:

I ordered some beet seeds. Ruby Queen variety since it was one that was recommended in the planting guide. I’m not a big fan of beets, but maybe I’d be more inclined to eat them if I grew my own. Anyone has any tips on growing them? Should I wait till it gets cooler?
I love beets but have failed in my last few attempts. Mostly due to lack of care. I am going to try growing them in a pot this Fall. I'll probably pull my shishitos and use that pot as I am the only one in the house who even sorta likes those peppers.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 11:48 am to
I think I’m going to wait until my watermelons are done and plant them in that box.

Did they attract any bears? Cause I know bears love beets. Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86141 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 12:54 pm to
Only black bears because black bears are best.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
15638 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 12:57 pm to


Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86141 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 12:58 pm to
Michael!
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