Tips For Creating A Fall Garden
Published Date: Sep 4, 2018
With the last of the summer fruits and veggies harvested, it doesn’t mean that you’ve had all the use possible out of your garden for the year! Now is the perfect time to start creating a fall garden right at home. In addition to increasing the number of delicious plants you’ll cultivate during the year, you may also find fall gardening to be a little bit easier than gardening during the summer, due to fewer pests and weed growth.
Tips for Creating a Fall Garden
If you’ve never crafted a fall garden before, you may be worried that your options are limited when it comes to what you can grow. While it is true that certain items just don't do well during the fall months, there are plenty of great plants that grow best in the fall.
Consider this – when you design a fall garden, you can grow some of the most delicious broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, spinach, turnips, and English peas imaginable! These are all plants that thrive with a little bit of a nip in the air, so there is no need to despair that they’ll be done in by a sudden chill. If you’re looking for something a little bit more low-maintenance and that can be grown in a paver planter space, there are also plenty of great herbs that can thrive in the fall. Consider fall a great time to plant rosemary, thyme, chives, mint, lavender and cilantro.
One of the first things that you will need to do prior to starting your fall garden is to prepare the garden itself. It’s important to go ahead and clear out all the foliage left behind by your summer garden if you had one. If there are any lingering plants, such as tomatoes, go ahead and clear them out of the way, even if there is still a little bit of growth left. These plants are unlikely to be able to produce any good produce anyway and are only taking up valuable space (and nutrients).
Early to Mid-August is a great time to get these plants started. Many gardening centers will have seedlings ready for you to plant, which can be a great option for those items that you’ll want to have ready by the time the first major chills hit. You may also consider starting a few items to seed indoors before transplanting them into your garden, especially with items such as cabbage or peas. Do be aware of when the first frost is likely to hit as you begin planting and plan accordingly to avoid losing any of your crops later in the season.
Finally, know that some creativity may be needed, especially if you live in an area where you are in danger of a surprisingly early frost. Many gardeners choose to plant their fall garden in pots or containers with casters so they are easy to move inside in case of colder-than-expected weather. With just a little careful planning, you can have plenty of delicious veggies ready for harvest at the end of the season!
