Fall Gardening Tips
The harvesting season is upon us and these fall gardening tips will help you on your way. We’re finally reaping the delicious rewards of our (sometimes back breaking) labor. So now what? I love fall gardening and how it can set you up for spring planting! Below are 10 helpful Fall Gardening Tips.
1. Clean up the Garden
Harvest remaining veggies and fruit, and remove any rotten produce and remove any dead, diseased or otherwise “spent” plants. This will help to reduce disease, and pests/rodents in the garden through the winter.
2. Compost the Extra
Be sure to add healthy (never diseased or infested) plant material to your compost! You can cut/chop/break up the material into smaller pieces for more successful integration and get that organic matter growing!
3. Test Your Soil
Using a kit like this can help you understand what your soil needs to be rich and ready for next year! For an excellent resource on how to test your soil go to this great blog by Growing Spaces!
4. Add Compost to Your Soil
Soil is a living ecosystem, the healthier that ecosystem is the more your plants will grow and produce. To keep that ecosystem thriving it’s important to periodically amend your soil with nutrient rich material (e.g. compost). Remove the top 1-2 inches of soil from your bed and mix in the same amount of compost or amended soil.
5. Use Your Leaves
Leaves make the perfect mulch to cover your beds with. Over the winter they will break down and add to your soil nutrition. Also they protect your beds from erosion. Simply rake them into a pile and hit them with the lawn mower, then put them on your beds.
6. Plant Cover Crops
If you want to take your gardening to the next level, check out our article on Cover Crops!
7. Inspect and Repair Garden Boxes
Fall is also a great time for a little TLC on your Backyard Boxes Garden Boxes. Though cedar is naturally rot resistant and will hold up without treatment, regular application (every 1-2 years) of a non-toxic waterproofer or stain will keep your garden box looking its best. Apply coats as recommended by the manufacturer in the fall to prepare your boxes for the wet winter and spring ahead. See our stains and sealers here!
8. Prune Perennials
Trim herbs and vegetables and leave only a few inches above the ground. Also pruning faded or spent flowers and extend the blooming season.
9. Fall Planting
Depending on your location and climate, you may be able to plant certain vegetables like garlic, onions, or winter greens in the fall.
10. Plan Out New Garden Beds
Plan out new garden beds! Now is the perfect time to add a few boxes to your garden. Add soil and compost and a bunch of your fall leaves, in the spring you’ll have a garden bed that’s ready to go! For more on how to fill your garden beds see our post here.
Start planning your new garden bed here!