In the warm (read: hot) parts of the States, we're in the midst of saying goodbye to our summer gardens. The farmers' markets are a little smaller as the summer crops wind down, and we're all preparing for a slew of new goodies in a couple of months. If you're ready to prepare your space for fall, here are a few things to get you started...
Saying Goodbye to the Summer Garden
...And Getting Ready for Fall
• Pull up and compost plants that have reached their peak. Our tomatoes have stopped flowering and fruiting (and our tomatillos flowered but never put for fruit), so they're going to get pulled up next weekend. The squash vines are plum tuckered out, too. When pulling plants, be sure to get all the roots, as root systems left in the ground could begin to rot or spread fungal diseases.
• Ready your compost, or procure a good source. Manure is compost gold, and if you can find a manure-based source, that will give your plants the best soil mixture to thrive.
• Learn from your experiences. We learned a lot from our summer garden, so if you're like us and the summer garden needed some improvement, work on it now so that when it's time to plant in your climate, the garden is ready.
• Check out planting guides and find out when it's time to start seeds or plant transplants. That time could be now, so be sure to find out what grows well in your area during the fall months.
(Image: Amber Byfield for Re-Nest.)
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I'm in California and I'm not ready to say goodbye! My pimento peppers are just starting to turn red and my yellow bell peppers are still green and growing. My Butternut squash still has 2 plants on the vine that are striped green. My crookedneck plant, however, has definitely seen better days.
What I will definitely take from this summer's experience is to plant early, as soon as frost is no longer an issue. I may have waited too long before starting and so my yield is not very high. But very educational!
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My summer crops are just STARTING to produce! But we have a long growing season in NorCal. I got my first eggplant this weekend. And the cucumbers and peppers are still coming. I did start my seeds a little late, in May, but still!
view KimberlyM's profile
This year was a cool summer in Maryland, so tomatoes just started producing in earnest a couple of weeks ago. I am looking forward to many more weeks of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cukes.
That said, I have also started some fall crops - spinach, radishes, and lettuce.
www.2greenacres.blogspot.com
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