The end of the summer garden season is winding down and fall/autumn is quickly approaching, but that doesn’t mean garden season is over. The cooler weather and shorter days are just ushering in a new season for growing different vegetables. How do I prepare the garden for fall/autumn?
Use these tips to prepare the garden for fall/autumn planting, or just to get it ready for next spring.
Clear Garden
Clear garden of all debris. Remove dead plants, old mulch, decayed vegetables, etc. and place the debris is the compost pile (if pest and disease free).
Harvest seeds that have been allowed to remain on plants and store seeds in a cool, dry place until needed.
Amend Soil
Add a 3 inch (7.5 cm) layer of compost or well-rotted manure on top of garden soil and work it into soil about 8 inches (20 cm) deep.
The summer growing season has depleted the soil of most nutrients so it needs to be fed in fall/autumn so it can support plant life during the next growing season.
Rake soil smooth after amending.
Plant a Late Season Crop
Many cool season vegetables can be planted and harvested before winter. Carrots, radishes, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and lettuce are some garden plants that grow best in cool weather.
Select plants that have a short time from planting until harvest. Carrots and radishes only need 30 days to reach harvest size, several others only need 45 days to reach maturity.
Preparing the garden in fall/autumn and re-planting a second crop doubles the amount of fresh food a small plot of land (or container garden) is able to produce.
Find out the first frost date predicted for your region, then count the days between now and that date. That will determine how many days you have to plant, grow and harvest late season vegetables.
Cover Crop
If you don’t want to plant an edible late season crop for yourself, plant a fall/autumn cover crop that will feed the garden soil.
Collards, turnips, kale, clover and rye grass make excellent cover crops that will protect soil from erosion and compaction during the winter. As soon as the soil is workable in early spring, turn the cover crop under so it will become ‘green manure’ and feed the soil and as it decomposes.
Amend the soil as outlined above, then sow the cover crop thickly in garden for best winter protection.
Consider planting a mixture of late season vegetables and a cover crop this fall/autumn so both you and your garden will be well fed as the season changes.
You may be interested in my other articles about Vegetable Garden.
How to Grow Frangipani From Cuttings
