Gardening in fall

Because of early frosts sometimes appearing, a lot of gardeners don't even think about gardening in the fall. However, you can harvest crops a long time after plants planted in spring have finished producing crops, and gardening in fall can produce some amazing quality vegetables. It so happens to be the case that fall vegetables can be milder and sweeter than vegetables grown in summer, which can give a new twist to the taste.

As in spring, you can choose to cultivate your preferred vegetables during your gardening in the fall, and what you grow depends on the space you have got to use. Despite the fact that some plants are more productive in warm circumstances, you can harvest tomatoes, peppers,  sweet potatoes and okra until temperatures fall below freezing point, which in the Southern States, sometimes doesn't happen until late in fall. Other plants will stop producing crops nearer the start of fall, like cucumber, snap-beans and summer squash. However, when these are planted later than usual, like in mid-summer season, they can still produce until frost hits your garden.

Weaker plants might not survive temperatures just below freezing, but robust, hardy vegetables will continue growing until temperatures dip below 20 degrees. Don't forget that you can save the part of tuber and root plants you eat by covering them with lots of mulch, even when the tops are damaged by frost.

For gardening in the fall you have to choose vegetables which grow and produce quickly, so you can harvest them before temperatures drop below freezing. Look for seed packaging that state very few days to maturity, or seeds with the label 'early season'. Make sure you remember to buy you fall gardening seeds early in the gardening season, as it might be difficult to still find them later in the summer. You can store the seeds in a dry and cool place until you are planning to plant them.

Make yourself aware of the local conditions considering early frosts, so you can plan ahead with your gardening in the fall. The Farmer's Almanac is usually a good source of information. The dates given are not oftern far off. Also, you will need to be aware of the exact time it takes for the plants to reach maturity.

Before you start your gardening in fall you must make sure you prepare the soil, by removing the remaining weeds/ crops from spring and summer. When left behind last season's crops can be responsible for the spreading of disease and bacteria. Depending on how much fertilizer you used during spring gardening, you might opt to put a couple of inches of mulch or compost on the soil to enrich it with nutrients. Mix it with the soil by tilting it, sprinkle with water and wait for it to set for about half a day to a day. After this you can plant your seeds.

Not many gardeners will attempt gardening in the fallin order not to face frosts, but if robust, hardy vegetables are choosen it is possible to harvest some amazing tasting vegetables, even after a some frosts. You will experience more joy from your vegetable patch for a longer period of time by gardening in the fall.