It is so invigorating to make my hands dirty in the garden. It has become part of my (almost) daily routine and the children also love to help. It not only helps to reduce stress and improve the immune system, but also delicious, healthy vegetables. However, gardening does not have to be relegated in summer plants. Here you can find out how you can expand your vegetation period with autumn garden!
Growing summer plants
If you think of a vegetable garden, you will probably present zucchini and cucumbers in the summer heat. Seds begin in late spring, depending on their climate and what grows. And then in autumn, after all the summer urbis to Zucchini bread, it is time to end it.
You don’t have to wait until next year to grow more plants! Certain vegetables and herbs will also grow in the cool seasons of autumn and winter.
Advantages of an autumn vegetable garden
Our family tries to eat as much as possible as possible. This means cold watermelon slices in the summer heat and pumpkin pie in October. There are some plants that are good (or even better) in cooler weather. For example, spinach grows great in early spring and autumn. However, as soon as the summer hit strikes, it can be practically inedible.
The autumn garden certainly has its advantages. In the summer I try to look at my vegetable garden in the early morning to avoid the heat. This problem does not have this problem in cooler temperatures that were grown in cooler temperatures. They also experience fewer pests and weeds than the vegetables of the summer season. In cooler weather, not only certain plants get better, they also taste better.
Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and kale produce more sugar after a frost. The result is sweeter vegetables. Dandelion are another plant that is sweeter in the autumn months, which is an ideal time to harvest them for dandelion roots.
List of plants that can grow in an autumn garden
If you want to start an autumn garden, the first step is to decide what you want to grow). You want to select plants with a shorter vegetation period or be listed as autumn vegetables. The best vegetables are frost -tolerant and stood colder weather. Certain plants such as spinach do well with an autumn planting and can spend the winter.
Here are some plants that do well in an autumn garden:
- Beet
- radish
- Brussels sprouts
- Collards
- Swiss deficiency (shooters from frost)
- Kale
- Beet
- Arugula
- spinach
- Bush beans (must grown beforehand or protected from frost)
- Mustard green
- Lettuce
- Carrot
- Paramedic
- broccoli
- Kohlrabi
- Asian greens
- Peas
Herbs and flowers for an autumn garden
Herbs not only provide delicious dishes, they are also good accompanying plants for their vegetables. They will be basil between my tomato plants and the founders of the Capuchin war on my pumpkin. Some herbs and flowers have a short vegetation period, but others will take in cool weather.
Another tip is to plant your herb garden in pots so that you can get into the coldest months. Herbs that are annual in some climate zones can be grown with a little care as perennials. Many pollinators rely on these plants to give them the nutrients they need before winter migration or hibernation.
Here are some herbs that grow well in an autumn garden:
- Parsley
- chervil
- rosemary
- sage
- chives
- thyme
- mint
- lavender
- coriander
- marjoram
Flowers:
- Nasturtium
- Calendula
- Marigold
- Joe Pye Weed (good for pollinators)
- Black Cohosh
- New England Aster
When should seeds for an autumn garden start
When you start seeds and your planting data, depends on your USDA Hardiness Zone and the first frost data. Here you can look up your frost data. You also want to add an additional 2 weeks of growth, as the plants ripen more slowly in cooler weather. For example, if your seed package says that the plant will be ready for harvest in 60 days, you expect it to be closer to 74.
Some seeds can be transplanted inside and then. Examples are bush beans and salad. Others can be sown directly into the ground (such as root vegetables). When you start the plants inside, you can have the summer vegetables in the ground while you have a lead in the autumn. Transplants should go into the ground in late summer or early autumn to get an autumn harvest.
This is a very practical table in which you say exactly when you have to plant different vegetables for an autumn garden harvest.
Turn plants for healthier plants
It is also a good idea to change their plant families so that they do not plant the same in the same soil trade year after year. This frightens the nutrients in the soil and causes bad plant growth. Here is more about why. If you planted tomatoes in a certain garden bed for summer (a nightshade), you can grow bush beans (legumes) there for autumn.
Grow longer
There are ways to extend your vegetation period even longer (especially if you live in an area with short summer). Cold frame and row covers can insulate plants from cold weather or a slight frost. And if you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse, they work even better to extend the harvest to winter.
Cold frames are an economic way to isolate plants and work as a mini greenhouse. They are great for smaller plants. Line covers can be a better option for larger rooms. Those with heavier fabric can increase the temperature by up to 10 degrees.
How to plant an autumn garden
After you have set the frost data in your region and what you want to grow, it is time to plant!
- Show your garden beds. Add organic substance and compost as required for healthier garden soil.
- Start all seeds indoors that need to be transplanted. You may be able to find starting systems in your local garden business, but many only sell them at the beginning of the vegetation period.
- Consider using row covers and/or cold frames for your plants for in colder weather.
- As soon as your plants are in the ground, they regularly cover the soil with mulch and water/weeds.
- Enjoy the delicious fruits of your work!
Autumn garden tips
- Increased beds remain warmer than directly into the ground and can further extend your vegetation period. It is also easy to attach row covers or a transparent cover on the top of the bed to create a cold frame.
- Mulch for plants to reduce weeds. The mulch collapses and feeds the floor and helps him get moisture. Mulch also helps with moderate soil heat.
Since I live in a warmer area, I can now grow across plants for practically all year round. As soon as the summer fruits have expired for the season, they are replaced by frost -hard seasons. Even if you don’t live in the south, there are many ways to extend your garden season!
Have you ever planted an autumn garden? What are your favorite plants with cool weather? Leave a comment and let us know!