The Garden is Over, What Now?
The farmers’ market season was a great success and we appreciate all the support from our customers and friends. It’s middle of September and the garden is over. The tomatoes died off early, the corn devoured by the raccoons and the deer have eaten all the peas. All the melons, squash and pumpkins have been picked. The harvest has been sold, eaten and preserved. So, what now?
Fall Crops
Some people, including myself, think that once the staples are harvested it’s time to let the gardens go. Let beans go to seed and collect as many seeds as possible from the other vegetables. However, you can raise a fall garden. Most people prefer to raise their greens in fall. These include mustard greens, cabbage, beets, turnips, etc. But others I know have grown other vegetables, like beans and tomatoes, as late as October. Some research shows fall is a better time for growing certain vegetables because of the cooler temperatures and lessened threat of pests. I have never attempted to grow a second garden, until this year. My sister, Lisa, started a second round of squash, zucchini and cucumber plants for us. I set my plants out in late August but unfortunately, they all died. Lisa’s are doing well and she is hoping to have squash in the next two weeks. Trying a fall garden was worth the try and I may even attempt it again next year.
Cleanup
I am also cleaning up our gardens. I collected as much seed as possible to save for planting next year. All of the chicken wire border, woven wire trellises and metal fence posts have been removed. The weeds have overtaken the gardens, it happens, and it will take some major work and effort to get to a point of replanting. I had a goal to plant mustard greens as a cover crop in both gardens to help improve the soil health. The greens would mature, then be tilled under later to decompose and replenish the nutrients in the soil. I believe this is an important part of soil maintenance. But due to some unexpected circumstances, I may not have the gardens in a ready state before the first expected frost. I need to put more effort into improving the soil during the non-market months.
Bring on the fruits
We will also be getting the gardens ready to plant more berries. This fall, we plan to expand our blueberry and blackberry plants by a large number. We will be planting the new seedlings in one of our two gardens, instead of having to prepare a new part of our land. This will cut down on prep time and cost. Fall is a great time to plant berries and fruit trees, like apple trees. It allows the new plants time to soak up the fall and winter moisture and be ready to bloom in the spring. We are excited to share more about the expansion as it takes place.
The garden may be over, but the work continues. I look forward to the garden turnover and setting out lots of new plants. It’s an exciting time to prep for the next year.
