If you’re ‘growing your groceries’ Fall is the time to bring in your harvest, sum up the season, and get ready for the next!
But first, give yourself a pat on the back.
No matter what your growing spaces produced (or even what they didn’t) one thing is certain. You’re a whole lot smarter now then when you started. ..
Like you know you don’t need to plant the entire packet of zucchini seeds. Or that the weeds should never get taller than the garden. Or that you can’t always trust the automatic sprinkler will work.
I have those ah ha moments, too. Even after growing MANY gardens! But I’m always looking forward to the next fresh ingredient I can coax out of the soil. And I know from experience that Fall is a planting window I don’t want to miss. A little work now pays off big next season!
#1 Garlic- To ensure that you’ll have this key ingredient ripe & ready for harvest next summer, now is the season to plant. Don't know how? You can take a Grow Your Garlic class.
A pungent relative of the onion family, garlic will reward you with large flavorful bulbs if given the cool months to set roots & grow.
Garlic is a crop that you’ll want to put on your ‘priority grow list’. And here’s why...
Most garlic found in your average supermarket comes from China. Growing practices & regulations are different there and plants are often grown with toxic chemicals outlawed in the US.
Plus, the crop is bleached to look good and irradiated to keep from sprouting on the shelf. Yikes!
Need another reason to grow your own garlic? How about taste. Plant your own and grow the flavorful varieties rarely seen in markets. What more do you need to seal the deal?
#2 Cover Crops - When it comes to your garden spaces, here’s a motto to follow. “Feed the soil so it can feed you”.
Remember that you depleted your garden spaces of vital nutrients when you grew your last veggie crops. Those nutrients ended up in your food and ultimately in your body when you ate them. That’s a good thing.
Now be smart and add something back to the soil so it can recharge and be ready to feed you again next season. Cover crops can be the perfect solution! Just seed them in now, let them grow and turn them under next spring when you’re ready to plant.
Check out the numerous options at your local garden store or favorite seed catalog. Or make a quick google search and learn which type of cover crop seed will work best for your growing climate.
Once you introduce yourself to the world of ‘green manure crops’ you’ll have tools in your toolbox that will UP your success to a whole new level!
#3 Hardy Greens - Kale, chard, spinach and other hardy greens are nutrient dense foods that love the cool weather of fall.
If your garden is in an area where winters are mild, take advantage of these resilient plants and harvest them regularly through spring.
Or, if you live in a more northerly climate where freezing temperatures & snow keep your garden beds dormant, here’s a trick that will get you fresh greens earlier than you thought possible.
Just prep your bed for greens in the fall, scatter your favorite seeds and cover with a layer of rich compost. Then watch how early they sprout in the spring. Chances are you’ll be enjoying the fresh flavors earlier than spring planted seeds.
So now you know how to get a jump on next year’s growing season. Ready to start? Click the button below and learn to grow your garlic!