NATIONAL PREPARDEDNESS MONTH - DAY 14

Being prepared can mean having a garden.  Summer is gone and the good food that only it brings.  Fall is here and it's time to put out that cool season garden. The best part of fall gardening to me is cleaning up my messy summer garde!n and starting fresh or putting my garden to bed for the year.

If tomato vines and bean stalks remain in your beds, don’t worry, it’s not too late to begin. We are blessed with an extended fall growing season. Last year we were frost-free in the area until mid-November. With cooler weather finally on the way, now is a great time to plant sugar snap peas, lettuces, chard, greens, turnips and radishes. These plants thrive in the cooler nights and daytime temperatures.

According to Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems, in late September and October gardeners should plant cabbage, collards, cauliflower, celery, Brussels sprouts, onions, turnips, mustard, kale and spinach. Other hardy, quick-growing vegetables include carrots, broccoli, beets, garlic and leeks. These vegetables thrive as the temperatures cool and even dip below freezing.

The best time to plant fruit trees and berries is in the fall. We miss a great opportunity to get root systems well established before our summer temperatures get here if we wait till spring.

For gardeners who want a rest from growing during the fall and winter seasons, make sure not to leave the soil uncovered. It is very important to put in cover crops during the winter. You do not want to leave bare soil and lose that soil fertility. Also, primarily, cover crops put nitrogen and organic matter back in the soil. The organic matter comes from decomposing plant parts. That is why it is important to choose crops with good root systems. There are several varieties of winter peas, turnips, annual rye, etc that will work.

Don’t forget, remove all dead vines and plants out of your garden space. This will help keep disease from spreading into your soil or giving bugs a place to hid during the winter. Your garden should be tidied before it begins its winter nap.

It's going to be beautiful weather for the next several days.  Take advantage of it and put some salad crops in.  Healthier and it beats paying $4 for a 10 oz bag of lettuce.