i have just gotten done planting my first fall garden, with several summer gardens under my belt already. i made room for cabbages, broccoli, collard greens (two types: georgia and cabbage head collards), cauliflower, and brussell sprouts. i also planted snow peas and dragon tongue beans. a friend told me to expect more insects in the fall garden than in the summer one!! is this true? what should i look for pest wise? which of the plants attract the most pests? i have some seed packs of red cabbage, turnips,and kholrabi... how much frost or freeze can they handle? thanks for the info in advance as i know you guys always come through for me...
Maybe the insect/pest problem is zonal. I don't notice the problem more in the fall than in the summer. Cabbage loopers are probably the biggest pest I notice. They seem to be worse this year then most. Next to that is the squash bugs.BLECH!!!!!But they are really more summer than fall pests.
Here in Texas we have fewer insects in the fall than in the spring. Ask some long-time gardeners in your area what they experience. Red cabbage ought to be fine with light frosts. You can always turn a bucket over the plant if you expect a freeze. If you have trouble with cabbage loopers, BT (bacillus thurengensis) of the right type will take care of them. Ask at a reputable nursery for the BT you need. We don't plant turnips or kohlrabi, but I seem to remember my grandpa saying that the turnips were sweeter after a freeze. Of course, my grandma was an awful cook, so who knows?
I'm putting in fall things too. I'll be doing another planting in October. The main fall pests here are cabbage worms and aphids. But, every area is different. I'd web search your county agricultural extension service to learn what "bugs" your garden. I use the BT on the worms. It's great stuff. It works. The worms get sick, stop eating and die. I get aphids in the fall. Sometimes there are so many that washing them off with the hose is not practical. So, I spray them with an all-purpose spray I make from garlic, hot peppers, a couple drops of Ivory liquid and Neem oil. If I've had to spray heavily, I leave it on for ten minutes, then rinse it off with the hose. As the weather cools down the aphis disappear until late Spring.
Turnips are a fall crop and take frosts well ! Occassionally the greens will get a red tinge after a frost that can make those leaves a bit tough. I just pick around those !!
