Fabulous Fall Flavors: Why Autumn is ideal
for gardening, plus timely tips for success
F
or any gardener, fall is bittersweet.
The exuberance of summer’s
bounty has started to fade, while
cooler nights and less daylight signal
the approach of cold, dark winter.
transplants rather than seeds to
squeeze every last moment out of
fall’s compressed growing season.
These plants love warm soil coupled
with cool air and will start to grow
quickly. Using transplants instead of
However, there’s still plenty of time to seed also means you’ll be gathering
savor some of the garden’s best flavors tasty produce weeks earlier than you
before you close your door on the would with seed-sown varieties.
season. In fact, now is the perfect
time to plant what are collectively
2. Stretch the season
known as “cool weather” crops - tasty While you can certainly plant cool-
favorites that thrive in autumn’s chill. season veggies and herbs in pots or
in the ground, a simple, commonly
Bonnie Plants grows a wide variety available garden product, a “cold-
of cool-weather veggies and herbs, frame”, can help you extend your
perfect for fall planting. Availability fall season by providing some added
of Bonnie’s fall varieties is limited to protection. A cold frame is a four-
specific regions, so check your local sided, clear box - open to the soil at the
garden retailers to find plants near bottom - with a hinged lid. Because
you.
the ground inside stays warmer
than the ambient air temperature, a
Select some hardy favorites to get cold frame protects plants long after
weeks of crisp cabbage slaws, healthy unsheltered veggies start to fail. (On
kale bowls, crunchy cauliflower and warm, sunny days, be sure to crack
broccoli or even hearty greens like the lid open to prevent too much heat
collards or Swiss chard, perfect to pop from building up inside.)
in a long-simmering winter braise.
Other fall favorites include Brussels
sprouts - delicious roasted with
slivers of garlic, olive oil and a touch
of balsamic vinegar - or any of the
versatile salad greens like lettuce
and spinach or flavorful herbs like
cilantro that tend to suffer and bolt
prematurely in sweltering summer
sun.
Here’s six timely tips from Bonnie
Plants to help you make your fall
garden as enjoyable as your summer
harvest.
1. Go big at home
Plant pre-started vegetable or herb
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OCTOBER 2018
3. Prepare you plot or pot
BPT
(particularly from cabbage white
butterflies) and harlequin bugs.
Inspect your plants for tiny clusters of
aphids or tell-tale holes in the leaves.
Handpick caterpillars or harlequin
bugs from plants and dispose of them
or use a strong blast of water from a
hose to dislodge aphids.
5. Embrace cooler, carefree
comforts
With the warm days and cool nights
of fall, less moisture evaporates from
your garden or pots, so you’ll need to
water less often. (Only water when the
soil 2” deep is dry.) In addition, many
cool weather crops handily survive
light frosts, growing well until a very
hard freeze ends their productivity.
Better yet, chilly weather improves the
flavor of many late-season varieties,
including members of the cabbage
family, kale, Brussels sprouts and
chard, by turning their starches into
natural sugars, making them a sweet
and healthy treat.
6. Take time to relax
Just like plants, gardeners enjoy a
break from the stifling heat of summer.
With the leisure of cool days, fewer
chores and less weeding as the garden
begins to wind down, you’ll be able to
enjoy the garden more while you wait
to harvest your fall favorites to boost
your recipes and brighten your table.
If planting in-ground, be sure to clear
the area of previous planted crops and
weeds, as they may decay and harbor
bacteria. Always bag, tie and discard
debris. Turn up the soil’s top layer
and add some bagged compost, and
mulch. If planting in a pot, be sure
to sanitize pots and use fresh, new
potting soil, specifically formulated If you don’t want to give up on your
garden’s bounty, pick up a selection
for containers.
of cool-season favorites from Bonnie
4. Proactively patrol for pests Plants now - and keep your garden
While pest numbers naturally decline growing!
in the cooler days of fall, they don’t
disappear entirely. Common pests For more information on fall
of cool-season plants include tiny, gardening and varieties, please visit
sap-sucking aphids, caterpillars www.bonnieplants.com.