Q&A: Do I need to remove summer crops in order to plant the fall garden?
Short answer: Nope, you sure don’t.
We are currently scheduling visits to all of our clients' homes to plant fall gardens in early September, but some people are confused — or even resistant. By late August in Middle Tennessee, your peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants are often still producing — sometimes heavily. (Anyone else in shishito heaven? 🤤🌶️) Rest assured, you don't need to rip them out just to make space. Instead, you can start your fall garden around your summer crops. Here's our approach:
🌱 Planting Around Summer Crops
Use their shade to your advantage. Plant cool-season crops like lettuce, arugula, kale, and carrots in the partial shade of peppers or tall tomato plants. The extra cover helps seedlings stay cool during hot afternoons.
Interplant thoughtfully. Sow seeds in open gaps or at the edges of beds. As the days cool and summer crops wind down, fall crops will take over.
The photo shows lettuce and radish sprouts under the shade of okra, tulsi, peppers, and even a tall kale “tree” that was planted last spring. Three seasons of produce growing together….
✂️ When to Pull Summer Plants
Remove what’s finished. If cucumbers are shriveled with bacterial wilt, or squash vines have succumbed to borers, go ahead and clear them.
Pull what you’re “done” with. Had your fill of okra or zucchini? No shame in retiring them early to make room for something new.
Disease check. If you’re removing plants with fungal or bacterial issues, pull the roots too and toss them (don’t compost). Otherwise, just cut plants at the soil line and leave roots to decompose in place.
🌿 The Best of Both Worlds
When you mixing fall seedlings into your still-bountiful summer garden, you’ll enjoy tomatoes and peppers alongside fresh greens, radishes, and broccoli. The transition doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing — let the garden overlap and keep feeding you for months to come.
