Cool Fall Gardens

Cooler weather is the key to the Fall garden season. The gardener embraces the temperatures to work in the garden that Summer has played havoc with.

Vegetables such as cabbage, kale, lettuce, radishes, and carrots can be planted in late August for a Fall crop. The secret to planting this garden is to work the soil and fertilize it. The summer vegetable plants should be weeded out and the newly tilled soil will accommodate the new plants. Garden centers have plants available that do well in your area in the Fall. Be sure and purchase plants. Seeds do not seem to do as well in the
Fall as in the Spring.

Roses love Fall weather, also. Dead head the spent flowers and fertilize the plants. Check for insects and dead canes. Roses should not be trimmed until February, so the potential for blooming goes on in some parts of the country till late October. Remember to perpetuate blooming, remove dried blossoms.

Mums are a Fall flower. If they have blooms on, be sure and fertilize them. They love the cooler temperatures. Check for aphids, which can cause this plant to dry up.

Pansy and colorful kale plants will arrive soon in your local garden center. These enjoy the cooler Fall air and will bloom in some areas, even under a blanket of snow. They provide color to a browned environment even when it is colder.

If you have nothing blooming, be sure and use your time to remove all dead plants. Clean up the spent flowers. Dead head the plants and save the seeds for planting in the Spring.

Shop catalogs for bulbs that can be planted in the Fall. These catalogs should be arriving soon in your mailbox. Most mail order garden centers will ship the bulbs to you when it is the correct time to plant them in your area.
They include instructions of how to plant, where to plant, etc. They have made planting bulbs almost fool proof. If you live in a hotter climate, it might be necessary to put the bulbs in a cold place for a short period of time before planting.

If you live near a wooded environment, Mother Nature will provide some lovely species of wild flowers that will bloom during the Fall season. Remember, never dig up a plant, take the seeds off the wild flowers if you want to plant them in your own garden.

Enjoy Fall gardening chores. It is a pleasant cooler time to go outdoors, and you will be happy with a Fall blooming garden and fresh vegetables.

References: The Experts Book of Garden Hints by Fern Marshall Bradley, Editor