Gardening

With colder nights and days and our ripe and ready vegetables getting to be more than we can consume, it's time to think about storing some of our harvests. Drying, canning, and freezing are the three top methods of storing your garden's bounty for enjoyment in the months ahead.

Start prepping your soil for a fall garden, enjoy fresh veggies through late summer and fall. Start by removing weeds and old vegetables, turn the top of soil 4-6 inches, and add compost to your garden bed. Don't dig the bed too deeply as it will upset the beneficial microbes in the ground that aid the veggies in their attempt to pull nutrients from the soil. Once the seedlings are 4-5 inches tall, you should apply a layer of mulch to keep the ground warm, moist, and to keep the weeds down. Adding organic fertilizer will also help replenish the soil and give the soil back some of the nutrients it needs for your fall crop.

Now is a great time to start an edible landscape. Growing your food without sacrificing beauty is possible by planting a few small fruit trees, berry bearing shrubs, vines, and even food producing ground covers. Beneficial insects are needed to help pollinate your edible garden. These insects are attracted by flowers such as alyssum, thyme, cosmos, marigolds, echinacea, and coreopsis.

With spring only a few weeks away I am excited about getting the first seeds and starts planted. Thoughts of tasty heirloom tomatoes, garden fresh spring greens, cucumbers, basil, a wide assortment of sweet and spicy peppers, and a colorful array of flowers will keep your spirits high through the challenges of spring. Designing new and sustainable, low maintenance garden features will help make your yard come to life. Adding on to my edible garden with new fruit varieties, vegetable starts bought from local sources, planting herbs to use in our kitchen, and seeing the perennial flowers come back year after year are some of the pleasures of spring for me.

Don’t let your garden stand empty this winter. With a little help, most of us can grow the vegetables mentioned below. In the northernmost states, a greenhouse, a high tunnel, a row cover or a small hot frame might be needed. Most southern areas of the US are well suited for growing winter crops outdoors if a thick layer of mulch (hay, dry leaves, straw, compost, or grass clippings) or a row cover is used. There are advantages of planting at this time of the year: less weeds, fewer insects, very little irrigation needed, and most of all, fresh vegetables.

As kids we learned that soil is made up of weathered rock particles, but as gardeners and growers we quickly discover that the way sand, silt and clay combines defines a lot about our gardens. Each soil type handles water differently, which means we have to be precise about how we promote healthy plant growth. Smart growers use specific drip emitters and sprayers to emit water precisely and effectively. Take a quick look at our guide for irrigating based on soil type before you go digging around in your garden.