Fall/Winter Gardens

[Cherry Kelly]

YES you can garden in the fall and winter (up to severe freezes).

For light frosts - cover those plants that are still producing, or if you have a sun-room area indoors, dig a few and put them in planters. (It is suggested you remove all growing produce as the plants will lose leaves for a few weeks until it adjusts to the indoor climate.)

Cold frame gardening for such items as leaf lettuce, spinach leaf and yes even a few radishes and onions will grow in a cold frame.

For the rest of your garden area, time to clean and prep for the following growing time in your area. After the last killing frost - remove all plants, planting frames, seed papers and if you have drip watering systems check those for mfg suggested removal. Fall tilling and topping with compost to allow it to sit over the winter is recommended.

[Doka]

I finally just let every thing in the garden get frosted. I can't say that I miss the squash, only when I go to the store and see them selling for 1.39 a lb, then guilt sets in for a few moments . I am working most of the plants back into the soil. Next week my sister and brother-in-law will come over with some mighty fine "Horse Poop" and rotor-till it into the spot. Last year had a lot of leaves to throw into the mix, but some of the trees here haven't even turned color yet. We need rain sooo badly. If we get a hard freeze and no moisture, it will be too awful to think about. So I won't.

[Diogenes]

I think I've posted this before - I direct compost. It's the Ruth Stout method and when I am really ambitious I spread Hay on top of the soil before the winter rains.

My Tomatoes will be better staked - yes they will for darn sure.

Nothing much growing now - just the usual herbs.

Saturday morning I looked out and there was a gaggle of Robins splashing hardyily in the bird bath and more waiting. I had never seen that many Robins in my back yard and later in the day I looked for them again and they were apparently migrating to somewhere and just needed a bath and a shave.

They were making such splashing in the bird bath you could tell they were joyous to have found it.

[Cherry Kelly]

After the first frost (of course covered pepper plants that are producing heavily) - picked green tomatoes...(just about 5 plastic grocery sacks filled). These will be pickled.

Have not pulled plants or removed the baskets, ropes, stakes, paper, drip stuff yet (as of tues 9th).

Peppers covered are yatzy, jalapeno, trinidad scorpion, ghost and habanero. Two of each (except yatzy) will be dug up and brought into the Sun-room for winter.

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Doka - yes horse compost on your garden over winter is great.

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Dio - yes more staking and baskets will help with the tomatoes!

[Doka]

I still have some cherry tomatoes going, they are in a different spot. To solve my "over grown plants" I trimmed them up to manageable. Didn't have anything to lose. Didn't seem to bother them at all, they just keep on giving.

[Diogenes]

After the first frost (of course covered pepper plants that are producing heavily) - picked green tomatoes...(just about 5 plastic grocery sacks filled). These will be pickled.

Have not pulled plants or removed the baskets, ropes, stakes, paper, drip stuff yet (as of tues 9th).

Peppers covered are yatzy, jalapeno, trinidad scorpion, ghost and habanero. Two of each (except yatzy) will be dug up and brought into the Sun-room for winter.

--
Doka - yes horse compost on your garden over winter is great.

---
Dio - yes more staking and baskets will help with the tomatoes!

CK when you say baskets - sorry but not sure I understand? Do you mean cages?

[Cherry Kelly]

baskets are metal cages --- some are store bought kind, some are ones put together from old fencing.