Fall is A Second Spring for Gardeners

For many gardeners, the start of the fall season ends their gardening until next spring. This is because many people don't think of fall as a time for planting new crops. Although you may not realize it, fall is a great time to plant next springs plants.

In the fall, the ground is still quite warm from the summer season. Those warmer temperatures encourage root growth. Many plants and tree roots are able to establish in temperatures as lows as 40 degrees. This is the perfect time to get a head start on encouraging strong root systems. This will lead to earlier germination come spring. Your plants will sprout out of the ground ready to focus on optimum growth rather than re-establishing their roots first.

When you plant in the spring, the ground is just starting to warm up. Since the ground is still cold, plant roots take longer to establish. This in turn shortens your growing season by the amount of time your roots need to become established. Even starting seeds indoors and transplanting when the ground is warm delays your growing season. You still must wait for the roots to establish. Their root systems will not be very strong either, due to the short time the plant has to establish before using all its stored energy to send up growth. Fall planted plants are less likely to stunt or die because of their stronger root systems and additional energies collected and stored over the fall/winter season. Fall planting gives your plants the best advantage.

The best time to start your fall planting in preparation for spring is about 6 - 8 weeks before the first frost. This time frame gives plants much needed time to establish before winter comes. You can check The Old Farmer's Almanac for when the first frost will be in your area. Some areas experience their first frosts as early as September 1st.

Feeding Your Family Through The Winter

Spring preparation isn't the only fall planting you can do. How about fall gardens? Some flowers and vegetable actually grow better in cooler temperatures. For example, allowing parsnips to freeze in the ground until January enhances their sweet flavor. If you are in an area where temperatures tend to stay above 35 degrees Fahrenheit, with only occasional dips to the 20s - 0 degree range, fall gardening may be an option for you. Just make sure you time your planting so that crops are mature by the first frost date in your area.

There are a variety of cold weather vegetables you can plant to feed your family through the winter season. Such as carrots, Leek, Turnip, kale, spinach, parsnips, cabbages, winter cauliflower, collards, swiss Chard, chives, bunching onions, radishes, broccoli, leaf lettuces, and mustard.

For quicker maturing plants, like radishes and broccoli, remember to replant if time permits so you have a large quantity to freeze through the winter. Some areas, like mine for instance, can plant/harvest until mid-November.

Remember, fall is also the time to divide flowers and plant spring bulbs. You can also replace dying summer flower beds with Autumn blooming plants like Pansies, Chrysanthemums, Marigolds, and others. This way you can have landscaping all year round.