Cover the seeds about twice as deep as you would during spring planting to keep seeds from drying during germination. Light irrigation 2-3 times per day during extremely hot weather will keep the soil moist and prevent seed death. Shading the soil with a board or a light mulch will keep the soil cooler, enhancing germination. To shade seeds with a board, place a brick or flower pot under each end to hold the board off the soil surface. Remove the temporary shade when you see sprouts emerging.
Thicker mulch needs to be pulled back so the seedlings can receive full sunlight.
Once the seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, apply additional mulch to help retain soil moisture and insulate the soil from the sun. While some insect pests are not as prevalent on fall crops as on spring-planted crops, others are just as bad or worse. By mid-summer, both grasshoppers and corn earworms can be heavy feeders on a variety of crops. Cucumber beetle and squash bug populations peak in August and can quickly destroy cucumber and squash seedlings. Imported cabbage worms and cabbage loopers can decimate new cole crop transplants if not diligently controlled.