In this time pf the year, the days are getting shorter, and our gardens are experiencing a lot. Our mornings are brisk and our nights are cool. Everyone’s garden, most likely, does not look the same. Some might have an abundance of red vine ripened tomatoes ready to be picked and turned into delicious recipes while others might have a bounty of green tomatoes that are waiting their turn to be harvested and devoured.

Preserving

With the beautiful array of colors, tastes, and textures in our September gardens, now is a good time to start thinking about preserving your bounty. Whether you can it, dehydrate, freeze or ferment, this definitely should be on your checklist.

Cover Crop Anyone?

Deciding whether or not you need a cover crop?  It can be as simple as opening a pack of seeds filled with hairy vetch, winter rye or even kale, then broadcasting them across the soil or getting a soil test to get a more detailed analysis of what lies beneath. Cover crop can be a great way to amend the soil with nutrients your crops need to thrive. It can replenish nutrients captured by your harvested crop and add elements needed for your next crop, such as nitrogen.

Composting

Before you begin adding spent summer crop debris from your summer garden, harvest the mature compost and add it to your soil bed. Adding a layer of 3-5 inches should do the trick! But first make sure those with disease, pest infestations or fungal infections don’t make it into your compost pile because who wants to deal with that next year!

Planting a Fall Garden

Planting for a fall garden can be easy for some but also difficult for others because there aren’t many nurseries around with fall plants for sale. Direct sowing for crops such as radish, lettuce, spinach, chard and peas is always an option. Crops like cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collards are a great addition to a fall garden.

Season Extending

 Now that we have experienced a few less harsh winters, we can properly prepare to plant crops in our garden for a fall or winter harvest. Of course, there is always a catch! We can always depend on zone 6 to throw us a wrench here and there.  Preparing for those times where the temperature unexpectedly is forecasted to drop, make sure your inventory is current with materials to protect your tender seedlings, such as a frost cover or building a cold frame.