It is that time of the year when you harvested summer crops and pulled faded plants out.
The ground is looking quite bear now and you might think: “the season is over and I just have to clean my garden and get a rest from busy harvesting season”.
Well, you can make cold season gardening fun so please read to the end, my friend. Of course, you can plant the cover crops to improve the soil over the winter. Or start to prepare your gardening beds for the winter as I will be doing later when it will be cold to handle the soil by the hands even with gloves on. Only then you can start throwing kitchen waste onto the gardening beds, distributing mulch around remaining perennial plants, dumping over with the compost, and letting nature take its course in your vegetable garden.
But there are still good sunny and warm days ahead. So why not get an advantage from the Indian summer season and reuse the bare soil spots to grow cold-tolerant vegetables?
First of all, you have to make sure there is enough time for your plants to get ripened before the hard frosts hit the ground. The hard frosts, mind you, not the ones that come and go from time to time but the frosts that will harden your soil and stop the roots growing. Please don’t get mistaken to count for another rich and abundant period you have had in the summer but think how much time you’ve got to grow your favourite vegetables and herbs in the fall.
Here are 3 fall planting ideas you might consider:
– Do you remember plants that got bolted from excessive heat in the summertime? Lettuce, Arugula and Broccoli, for example, were grown quickly, turned into blooming and set seeds. Now it’s time to give them a second chance.
– Grow baby lettuces and other baby-sized vegetables like Zucchini, Carrots and Beets.
– Grow cold-hardy crops that produce tastier fruits in the fall time. Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach are good candidates to sustain colds and light frosts.
– As a bonus, you can plant a vegetable in a pot and bring it indoors to enjoy the pleasure of closeness to your lovely food-producing edible.
Watch the video below where I shared fall planting secrets of the following herbs and vegetables:
- Swiss Chard
- Walking Onions
- Thyme
- Lemon Balm
- Chives
For more ideas, click here and join my early waiting list to the GardenHowTo Club.
Hopefully what I am doing inspires you to dig in your soil and plant some food items this fall too.
I agree with the below source that suggests planting in the fall from seedlings. At the same time, I would hold on from doing direct sowing if you are in a cold climate zone 5 and North from it. Only because there will be not enough time to get the seeds germinated and produce a good-sized harvest before the serious frosts hit the gardens. Otherwise, be sure to check out
https://www.thespruce.com/best-vegetables-for-a-fall-garden-4141720
Always popular in my opinion Mother Earth News timely advised on thinking about soil first before planting something again. How you nurture your soil will be directly reflected on what you eat from your garden beds, no matter when you plant – in the spring or in the fall. Read more on
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/fall-garden-vegetables-zmaz09aszraw
When we intermix decorative plans with edible ones Romeo and Juliet are coming to each other to form a harmony. I have observed how seemingly plain the garden looks like when there are only vegetables available. By the way they would be mostly annuals so as soon as fall comes the blind spots become to appear. Added decorative plants will make the picture you see from the window as wholesome. Look over the great tips here:
https://happydiyhome.com/how-to-transition-garden-summer-to-fall/
And if you are still not sure what type of the vegetable to plant in the fall this list Jill in The Prairie Homestead will definitely help you out to pick it up:
https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/08/vegetables-fall-garden.html
P.S. Are you in a climate zone that allows plenty of sun and warmth on the ground? You have even better chances to grow your own food then! Don’t wait for long and start from these 5 simple vegetables right now:
Check your email with the link to download …
If this post has helped you in some way or if you have any further questions I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reply with your comment below.