lspichkin

The warm summer days are long with plenty of time to linger over the delicious meals made with ingredients from your very own garden. Even if it's just one ingredient in the meal that you grew yourself - the lettuce in the salad, or the basil used to make the pesto - there is a sense of satisfaction knowing that some part of this meal came from your working in the dirt and coaxing a plant (miracle of miracles!) to grow into food. Who says the fun has to stop in a couple of months? Many gardeners mentally and physically pack up the gardening supplies at the end of the summer when it's possible to extend the growing season for many more months.

Many areas of the United States are perfectly suited to growing vegetables in the fall and winter months. While some Northern and high elevation regions may need a bit of help in the form of cold frames or green houses.


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If you're ready to try your hand at growing a fall/winter garden so you can pick your home grown goods right when the price of produce is going up in the grocery stores, then here are some tips for making your fall/winter vegetable garden a success:

-- Know when the first killing frost typically takes place in your area. Any local nursery will be able to help you find this information. Armed with the date, you can count the days to maturity for the plant you're hoping to grow and make sure that plant will be mature before the first frost. This will give you the best time to plant in your area.

--When picking your location keep in mind that soil in a raised bed garden can be 10 degrees warmer than the soil in the surrounding areas. A windbreak or a wall can also provide an extra 10 – 15 degrees of additional warmth.


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--Prepare the soil by tilling down about 6 inches. Thoroughly incorporate an organic fertilizer into the soil.

--Because you are planting in the summer, the soil is going to be warmer and drier. Many crops will not germinate if the soil is too warm. If you will be planting from seed, rather than transplanting and existing plant, then plant the seeds 1 ½ to 2 times deeper than you would for a spring crop. You can also keep your soil moist by shading it and/or providing a layer of mulch that can be removed once the seeds germinate.


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--Do not allow your seedling to dry out. You'll want to provide regular, light watering until the new roots form.

--Check regularly for insect damage and treat as necessary. There can be an abundance of insects in the fall due to a summer buildup of these critters.

The following is a Fall Planting Guide published by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: