Is it too late to plant a garden?
Is it too late to plant a garden?
I get this question a lot. I can see why too. Here in the south, most of us grew up with summer gardens where our grandparents grew extensive gardens with row after row of veggies and spent the harvest canning and freezing all that produce. Once the summer harvest was done, so were the gardens.
I've grown to take a different approach to the garden. Over the years, I've taken a seasonal approach to gardening, focusing on three seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Notice that last season, FALL.
So to answer the question, no, it is not too late to garden. It's soon to be the perfect time to start up lettuces, spinaches, and greens again! I'm even starting up some more squash, okra, and pumpkins. Peas will love the soon-to-be cool weather. Beans are always in rotation in my garden throughout all three seasons. Those are some easier veggies you can grow in the fall.
For some other fall plant suggestions and the Fall season month-to-month growing guide, check out: Garden Planner Here
Here are some tips for fall gardening:
-Check your first frost day
-Don't pull out your peppers, peas, and bean plants too soon!
-If you have an empty garden bed, you might want to amend the soil a little after your heavy-feeding summer plants are done. Add some well-seasoned manure and fresh compost, lightly mixing it with the existing soil. Don't disturb the soil too much. You don't want to destroy the healthy ecosystem you've got going on underneath the ground.
-Make sure your plants get the shade they need in between the dramatic switching of hot and cold days that always happen in the change of seasons.
-Mulch your beds to keep the moisture in. You can use grass, straw, and newspaper shredding.
-Keep the flowers going till the end for the pollinators. They need you, and you need them!
If a fall garden still seems a little overwhelming, choose one thing/plant/or tip to focus on this fall season. The most important thing is to start something somewhere in the garden and implement that one thing. Once you've accomplished that one goal, add another the following fall season. Ultimately, the goal is to create a garden space that will be produced throughout the year!
Happy gardening,
Kara