Successful Gardening During the Autumn Season
Gardening in the fall is much less popular than during the spring and summer. People tend to avoid fall gardening because they are worried that cold and frost of the impending winter will kill their crops. This is a valid consideration.
However, gardening in the fall can produce wonderful fruits and vegetables that taste just as great as those you harvested earlier in the year.
What Kinds of Fall Produce Can Be Grown?
You can produce a variety of fruits and vegetables in the fall, just as you can in the summer and spring. Choosing the veggies you want to grow is largely a matter of preference.
You can still grow a variety of crops in the fall, even ones that thrive in the warm weather. Crops such as potatoes, peppers, okra, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes all can be grown until the frost and cold weather settles in.
Not all crops, however, are ideal for fall gardening. Some may stop producing vegetables in the late summer. Among them are summer squash, cucumbers, snap-beans.
It may still be possible to grow these vegetables in the fall, as long as you begin planting them by mid-summer. However, once the first bout of cold weather and frost barges in, you will probably not be able to keep them.
Some vegetables can withstand the cold more than others, being able to withstand exposure to frost and low temperatures several times. Others will not be able to survive more than a mild frost or two.
Where is the Best Location for Fall Gardening?
The best climates for gardening in the fall are geographies with moderate climates, such as the southern states. These regions do not get cold weather as early or often as those further north of the equator.
Growing Your Fall Vegetables
You should choose vegetables that grow quickly so you will be able to take full advantage of the crop yields before the weather gets too cold. Purchase seeds that are suitable for the late season.
Figuring out when to begin planting your vegetables is also key to growing your veggies in the fall. You have to know approximately when the weather is likely to start getting cold in order to estimate the right time to plant your vegetables.
One of the best ways to determine when to plant vegetables for the late fall is by consulting a Farmer’s Almanac. This will help you to predict the time frame of the first likely frost. Next you will need to find out how long it will take your plants to grow and begin producing crops to determine the exact date to plant the vegetables.
When it comes time to actually put your vegetables into the ground, you should take the time to clear your garden of any already-existing crops from the spring or summer. Clean and weed the garden just as you would for the first time in the spring. Otherwise, you could wind up with plant killing diseases and bacteria in your soil.
Fall gardening is typically more unpredictable than gardening in the summer, but it is still a great way to enjoy fresh vegetables well into the cooler months.
