Hello friends,
As we slide in to the second half of November I wanted to share some late fall garden and landscaping practices that will help get the ground ready and even some options for early harvesting in spring. Below I tell you some of the reasons why I believe fall and winter is the the best time of the year to plan & plant. Continue reading for more help to close up the garden and a few questions to reflect on in your garden journal.
Preparing for Next Year’s Garden
Now this may sound strange to think of gardening this time of year and how it will help far in advance. Before you jump ahead to this month's Pro-Tip “Putting the Garden to Bed” let’s take a look at what you can do now to harvest as early as February or March of next year. I know how many of us are looking forward to a new year!!
Depending on your location, climate and current temperatures you can do some or all of the following up until you have a hard frost or snow on the ground.
There are many reasons for working in the garden this time of year, I will mention just a few here, centered around TIMING:
Rest:
Plants and seeds need time to rest after being planted or transplanted. Certain seeds require cool temperatures and shorter days before they germinate so why not give them the conditions they need? The energy building up in their roots will later be used to turn into edible leaves, fruits, grains or nuts. If you are seeking a garden that provides pollen, nectar and habitat for bees, birds and butterflies starting now will ensure they are ready to bloom when the wildlife returns or emerges.
Water:
Whether you are here in the northwest preparing for the rainy season or you live somewhere colder and drier; considering the water in the garden always applies. Let Mother Nature take care of watering for you over the next few months. Some protection may be needed to prevent over watering or soil erosion, applying a layer of mulch or wood chips will help. If you do live where you receive a lot of snow or below freezing temperatures consider cloches or frost cloth.
Goals:
If you have visions of harvesting fresh salad greens (like rainbow chard pictured below), grilling with rosemary skewers, or big global dreams to reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing less food that has travelled thousands of miles - turn to your garden plans! Sowing seeds or planting now will allow you to start next year BEFORE spring arrives.
And to paraphrase one of my mentors ‘Planning for a new years resolution to be healthier on January 1st is too late.'
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