DATE:      8/31/00         
WRITER:    Dr. Richard Hassell, (434) 766-3761;
           Clemson Extension vegetable specialist
EDITOR:    Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876
  
Plant now for fall and winter vegetables
  
	CLEMSON -- During the fall most people don't think 
about planting a vegetable garden. Instead, they think of 
harvesting vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet corn, and 
squash. However, here in South Carolina, and especially along 
the coast, there are a number of vegetables that do very well 
during the fall and winter months. These vegetables traditionally 
have been cabbage, collards, mustard greens, and onions.
	But you may want to try green and red leaf lettuce, 
Boston lettuce, romaine lettuce, radish, parsley, and cilantro. 
These vegetables will handle a frost and temperatures in the 
low twenties with very little damage.
       Here's what it takes to grow these vegetables:
       Lettuce is an annual; it goes from seed to seed in one 
season. The speed at which this happens will depend on how warm 
it is. High temperatures, along with an intermediate day length, 
can cause bolting premature seed stalk formation before the 
head is ready for harvest.
       The degree of bolting depends a lot on variety selection. 
Some varieties bolt faster than others. Choosing the right one 
is the key with any of the lettuce types, such as: Solbolt 
(leaf), Ermosa (Boston), Green Tower (romaine).
       If you can't find what you need, check with your 
county's Clemson Extension agent as to which varieties do best 
in your region of South Carolina. Or call Clemson's Home and 
Garden Information Center at 1-888-656-9988.
       Now is the time to start seeding lettuce. Since lettuce 
seeds will not germinate if the temperature around them is 
above 85 degrees F, you can start lettuce plants indoors, 
where it is cool.
       When temperatures exceed 85 degrees F, the seed goes 
dormant, which means it will not germinate even though it is 
still alive. Once it germinates, it takes between three to 
four weeks for a lettuce plant to be ready for transplanting 
into the garden. Ten inches, both between plants and within 
rows, is the standard spacing for all these types of lettuce.
	Once it is in your garden, lettuce takes between 
sixty to eighty days to be ready for harvest, depending on 
type and temperatures. The order of maturity is as follows: 
Boston, followed by leafy, then romaine. As far as lettuce 
is concerned, disease and insect pressure is light.
	Lettuce plants can't stand "wet feet" standing water. 
To let the plants drain properly, plant them on beds rather 
than flat ground. Also, lettuce plants only have a fibrous 
root system, which means that most of their roots are on or 
just below the surface of the soil. This is important to 
remember when cultivating your garden so you do not damage 
or hinder the growth of the plant.
	Radishes are fairly easy to grow. They mature anywhere 
from twenty eight to forty two days form seeding, depending on 
soil and air temperatures during their growing time. For 
radishes, the warmer it is, the faster they mature.
	Place the seed just below the soil surface and put 
one seed every inch. Radishes are some of the fastest 
germinating seeds and should be visible in just a few days.
	The flavor of the radish bulb is also dependent on 
temperature. As a general rule, the cooler the temperature, 
the milder the radish. This means radishes grown in the fall 
and winter months should be on the mild side.
	Parsley and cilantro are herbs that garnish the dinner 
plate as well as add flavor to most foods. The best time to 
plant these herbs is when the soil cools down, and when the 
maximum air temperature is in the 70 to 80 degree F range.
	For a home garden, seed parsley and cilantro very 
thickly. The trick is in getting the seed to germinate. These 
seeds contain a naturally occurring seed inhibitor that 
prevents them form germinating before there is enough 
moisture to germinate and grow  the plant.
	This inhibitor is water soluble, so applying excess 
water is the key. Keep the soil on the wet side until you 
see the plants coming up. 
	When the plants are up and growing, then keep the 
soil on the dry side to help prevent disease from becoming 
a problem.  This also forces the roots to go deep.
	When the plants get big enough to harvest, cut them 
at least two inches from the soil surface. This will allow 
the plant to regrow and to provide you with a continual supply 
of herbs to last all winter.
	When the temperature gets too warm, the seed stalks
form before you can get enough to cut. This will be your 
key that it is time to till it under.
  	A home garden in South Carolina can be kept 
producing vegetables all year long-- Richard Hassell, 
Clemson Extension vegetable specialist, Costal Research 
and Education Center.
       *****************************************
	If you have questions or comments on gardening, 
write to PSA Media Relations, A-101 Poole Agricultural 
Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0129, 
or see www.clemson.edu/psamedia.
                          END