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| I do love Fall |
One bright side of the whole pandemic has been a surge in people wanting to grow their own food. If you haven't gotten on the bandwagon yet, or even if you have, it's not too late to plant more food for this years harvest. You might be surprised to learn that several kinds of vegetables actually prefer cooler weather and fall is a great time of year to grow them.
Of course, the timing of planting depends on where you live. The farther north you are, the sooner a hard frost will come and put an end to your growing season. I live in south central Pennsylvania on the line between zone 6b and 7a. You can learn more about climate zone here.
Carrots and peas can take a while to germinate so I planted my seeds last week. Carrots cannot be transplanted and peas are so easy to grow from seed that you don't need to buy plants. Lettuce, spinach and kale grow quicker so I've planted a little but I can plant them here up until Labor Day. Some vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, take so long to grow that you're really better off buying plants at your local garden center and planting them soon. Beets and radishes are also great to start from seeds now.
The trick of fall gardening is that the plants don't like heat but you have to plant them in summer so they'll germinate and have enough time to grow. This means at least daily watering. It's a hassle, to be sure, but every October when I can still go outside and pick fresh produce I'm always so glad I planted more veggies ahead of time. It's also really important to keep the veggies clear of weeds and properly thinned out because sunlight will be more scarce in the fall and your plants will not due well with competition.
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Do you practice gardening in fall? What are your tips and tricks? Feel free to post in the comments below.
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