It’s Time to Start Planning Your Fall and Winter Garden
While the fireworks have barely faded and the long, hot summer days are at their peak, it is not too early to start planning your fall and winter gardening tasks. For most gardeners, mid-summer is a time to maintain and harvest what was planted in the spring. Gardeners who wish to have an extended growing season can begin now to start plants from seed, cultivate new areas, or at least begin to look at their space and see where you might be able to squeeze in some fall vegetables or what could use some repair work before the weather starts to turn too cold for plants to take root. Here are some general ideas to think about for fall and winter gardening, but you can get plenty more by checking our shelves, particularly in the 635.9 (gardening) and 712 (garden design) areas.
Fall Vegetables
While some of the other chores for fall are only in the planning stage at this point, fall vegetables are in a more active phase as many can either be planted or started from seeds in late July and August. Many root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, do well in the fall but need to be planted early, particularly varieties that may have a long growth period. There are some carrots, for example, that thrive in cooler, but not cold temperatures, and take 90-120 days to mature so those seeds should be planted now for the best results. Other vegetables that do well in cooler temperatures include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, leafy greens like kale and lettuce, root vegetables like radishes and potatoes, and one of my favorites, celery. Each one requires a different growth period, so be sure to check with sources such as the The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has some charts online and more in the print version that can be found at most of our branches. I can tell you that celery started in late July or early August can thrive until the first freeze, which makes a flavorful option for stuffing and gravy if harvested within a few weeks of Thanksgiving. A final vegetable worth taking a look at is garlic, which tends to grow over winter and can be planted after Labor Day. The bulbs grow out of individual cloves planted about 3 inches deep, so all you need is some fresh garlic from the grocery store. The key, however, is to have a colder winter. Once you do have a good harvest, retain some of the cloves to plant the following year, so that they will be more attuned to the weather and soil conditions.
Fall Flowers
Sure you want to keep your summer flowers going as long as you can and some of those, such as begonias and geraniums, will indeed survive overnight temperatures nearing the 40s and some frost, but you also want to start mixing in the fall flowers that are hardy enough to bring some color to match your pumpkins and corn stalk décor in autumn. The standard is of course the hardy mum, which has a variety of color options and can take up a lot of space with just a few plants. Just remember that if they are already in bloom, they will not last as far into the season so pick plants that look sort of green with lots of buds. These can be woven in starting in September and added to as the summer flowers die off and the perennials stop blooming. Other options that can survive some cooler weather and frost include pansies, chrysanthemums, and verbena. MCLS has a pretty big collection of books The Bee-Friendly Garden with suggestions on attracting bees to help pollinate vegetables and other plants; Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden for those looking to not only brighten the garden, but add some color inside with flowers that can be added to bouquets; and Mid-Atlantic Getting Started Garden Guide, which specifically covers plants that grow well in this area.
that cover flower gardens, ranging from general planting guides to ones that offer suggestions based on soil type or to maximize color. Some specialized titles include
Perennials
HGTV has a slideshow of both flowers and perennials that grow well in the fall. Keep in mind the perennials may not be very productive the first year they are planted, but should come back next year to produce some vibrant color in your garden. Varieties include goldenrod to attract late-season butterflies and sumac, which will provide color deep into winter and also some nice blooms in spring. Aside from fall perennials, autumn is actually a good time to get a jump on the spring. While the air temperature is indeed cooler, fall soil is warmer after being heated all summer than the spring soil that is thawing after winter so it is perfectly OK to plant some spring and summer varieties that can take root and be ready for next year. Of course, fall is also when you want to plant your bulbs for tulips, daffodils, and other early spring flowers many of us look forward to at the end of winter. For more on perennials, cruise by the 635.932 section to find guidebooks as well as title such as Perennials for Dummies and Easy Care Perennials.
General Repairs
Finally, fall maintenance is about more than just leaf clean-up and, if the weather stays favorable, can stretch into winter with some early-season chores for next spring. Autumn is the time to take a good look at your shrubs, trees, and perennials to see if they need to be pruned to prevent overgrowth or to remove dead spots. The pruning resources can be found with the gardening books in the 635 area in non-fiction. One new title in the section, Pruning and Training by Christopher Brickell, covers not only the basics or pruning, but gives instruction on how to use the technique to train, or sculpt, your plants to grow in a more controlled manner so you have less maintenance during the year. Now is a good time to also replenish nutrients in the soil and clear out weeds in flower and vegetable beds. After removing leaves and weeds, till in some fertilizer and perhaps even use a soil tester to make sure the area meets the needs of your anticipated spring and summer plants. Lastly, take a look at your lawn and make sure to apply the needed fertilizers and insect/weed controls. The cooler fall weather is also the time to do any patch work to replenish bare areas. Winter is not off the table for lawn care either, as a mild winter will still allow for some patching and seeding can be done even if it is too cold for other tasks. Winter seeds can benefit from the higher rain and snow fall, as they will sink into the soil and be ready to germinate come spring. For more on lawn care, mow-zy on over to the 635.964 area and look for titles such as The Organic Lawn Care Manual.
Fall Vegetables
While some of the other chores for fall are only in the planning stage at this point, fall vegetables are in a more active phase as many can either be planted or started from seeds in late July and August. Many root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, do well in the fall but need to be planted early, particularly varieties that may have a long growth period. There are some carrots, for example, that thrive in cooler, but not cold temperatures, and take 90-120 days to mature so those seeds should be planted now for the best results. Other vegetables that do well in cooler temperatures include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, leafy greens like kale and lettuce, root vegetables like radishes and potatoes, and one of my favorites, celery. Each one requires a different growth period, so be sure to check with sources such as the The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has some charts online and more in the print version that can be found at most of our branches. I can tell you that celery started in late July or early August can thrive until the first freeze, which makes a flavorful option for stuffing and gravy if harvested within a few weeks of Thanksgiving. A final vegetable worth taking a look at is garlic, which tends to grow over winter and can be planted after Labor Day. The bulbs grow out of individual cloves planted about 3 inches deep, so all you need is some fresh garlic from the grocery store. The key, however, is to have a colder winter. Once you do have a good harvest, retain some of the cloves to plant the following year, so that they will be more attuned to the weather and soil conditions.
Fall Flowers
Sure you want to keep your summer flowers going as long as you can and some of those, such as begonias and geraniums, will indeed survive overnight temperatures nearing the 40s and some frost, but you also want to start mixing in the fall flowers that are hardy enough to bring some color to match your pumpkins and corn stalk décor in autumn. The standard is of course the hardy mum, which has a variety of color options and can take up a lot of space with just a few plants. Just remember that if they are already in bloom, they will not last as far into the season so pick plants that look sort of green with lots of buds. These can be woven in starting in September and added to as the summer flowers die off and the perennials stop blooming. Other options that can survive some cooler weather and frost include pansies, chrysanthemums, and verbena. MCLS has a pretty big collection of books The Bee-Friendly Garden with suggestions on attracting bees to help pollinate vegetables and other plants; Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden for those looking to not only brighten the garden, but add some color inside with flowers that can be added to bouquets; and Mid-Atlantic Getting Started Garden Guide, which specifically covers plants that grow well in this area.that cover flower gardens, ranging from general planting guides to ones that offer suggestions based on soil type or to maximize color. Some specialized titles include
Perennials
HGTV has a slideshow of both flowers and perennials that grow well in the fall. Keep in mind the perennials may not be very productive the first year they are planted, but should come back next year to produce some vibrant color in your garden. Varieties include goldenrod to attract late-season butterflies and sumac, which will provide color deep into winter and also some nice blooms in spring. Aside from fall perennials, autumn is actually a good time to get a jump on the spring. While the air temperature is indeed cooler, fall soil is warmer after being heated all summer than the spring soil that is thawing after winter so it is perfectly OK to plant some spring and summer varieties that can take root and be ready for next year. Of course, fall is also when you want to plant your bulbs for tulips, daffodils, and other early spring flowers many of us look forward to at the end of winter. For more on perennials, cruise by the 635.932 section to find guidebooks as well as title such as Perennials for Dummies and Easy Care Perennials.
General Repairs
Finally, fall maintenance is about more than just leaf clean-up and, if the weather stays favorable, can stretch into winter with some early-season chores for next spring. Autumn is the time to take a good look at your shrubs, trees, and perennials to see if they need to be pruned to prevent overgrowth or to remove dead spots. The pruning resources can be found with the gardening books in the 635 area in non-fiction. One new title in the section, Pruning and Training by Christopher Brickell, covers not only the basics or pruning, but gives instruction on how to use the technique to train, or sculpt, your plants to grow in a more controlled manner so you have less maintenance during the year. Now is a good time to also replenish nutrients in the soil and clear out weeds in flower and vegetable beds. After removing leaves and weeds, till in some fertilizer and perhaps even use a soil tester to make sure the area meets the needs of your anticipated spring and summer plants. Lastly, take a look at your lawn and make sure to apply the needed fertilizers and insect/weed controls. The cooler fall weather is also the time to do any patch work to replenish bare areas. Winter is not off the table for lawn care either, as a mild winter will still allow for some patching and seeding can be done even if it is too cold for other tasks. Winter seeds can benefit from the higher rain and snow fall, as they will sink into the soil and be ready to germinate come spring. For more on lawn care, mow-zy on over to the 635.964 area and look for titles such as The Organic Lawn Care Manual.
- Laura N., Information Technology
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