As summer wanes to a close, many gardens will wither away leaving nothing in their wake. This doesn’t have to be the case though. You can plant a fall vegetable garden so you can continue to have vegetables through the fall and even into the first weeks of winter.
Choosing the Right Vegetables to Plant
When you consider planting your fall garden consider plants that are intolerable to frost. We know that tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers and any melon plants are susceptible to frost so we would not want to plant anything like this for a fall garden. Instead consider planting things like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, radishes, carrots, kale, lettuce spinach and turnips. These are all tolerant to frost and some even benefit from short spurts of frost.
Be Prepared for the Frost Season
Before planting your fall garden find out what the average date for the first frost is in your area. You can find this out by contacting your local farm bureau agency or your local Department of Agriculture. You will also want to determine how many days are needed for the seeds germinate before they are a transplantable size. Then determine how many days it takes for the plants to mature. Let’s look at an example of these facts working for you and not against you:
- If your average first frost is mid to late October, and your carrot seeds take twenty one days to germinate before planting and it takes six to eight weeks from transplant to harvest, you will want to begin your seeds in late July to early August. This gives your plants plenty of time to mature before the first frost and you can harvest a couple weeks after that frost.
- Planting broccoli is a little different though. It takes sixteen weeks from seed to maturity. This vegetable needs cool weather to flourish. In this case simply count back sixteen weeks from the first frost date and start your seeds indoors under lights in pots. You can transplant them eight weeks before the first frost.
You will need to determine these times and dates for any fall vegetable you want to grow. Group them together so that if a hard frost hits, you will be able to protect them easier.
Prepare Your Soil
Prepare your soil in the same manner as you do for a spring garden by clearing away any leaves and grass that has accumulated and removing any summer crops that are finished fruiting. You can use the remnants of the summer crops to help fertilize your fall ones by simply tilling up the soil and tilling under the remaining plant material. Add fertilizer to the soil and mix it with the soil. Test the soil to ensure it has the right amount of nutrients and if it doesn’t mix the proper ingredients to correct this and test again. Once you have tested the soil and it has the proper nutrients and pH levels, you can begin transplanting your seedlings into the ground and keeping them watered properly.
Aerating your lawn seems like a waste of time, right? Consider the wear and tear that your lawn is put through during the summer months. If you live in a dry region, the ground can become hard and crack so that moisture simply runs right off, leaving your lawn thirsting for nutrients. Aerating your lawn will allow those nutrients to penetrate the surface of the ground and allow moisture to get to the root systems.
Remove All Fallen Leaves
Before you begin aerating your lawn, remove all of the fallen leaves. You can do this by raking with a lawn rake or using a leaf blower/vacuum. Either method works well but the blower/vacuum is actually less work and easier to perform. You don’t have to remove all of the leaves and clippings from the summer. A thin layer of this material works as a barrier between the damaging sun and the crown of your grass. It can also work to help retain moisture to the root systems.
Examine your Lawn
After you have removed all the leaves, examine your lawn for damage and compacted areas. Our lawn takes a beating during the summer with children, heat and lack of moisture. It gets compacted in areas which prevent your lawn from breathing and soaking up nutrients from the ground. Find the areas that are most compacted and appear damaged and make them with small stakes and twine. This lets you know where the most damage is occurring and the locations that need the most TLC.
Deciding on your Method of Aerating
You will learn that some areas are more compacted than others. This occurs in areas around patios, walkways and around trees and flower beds due to high traffic. In arid regions the lack of rainfall can cause the ground to dry and crack, creating compact root systems for your grass. Aerating the ground can be done several different ways. You can hire a lawn care company to come in and aerate it for about a hundred dollars, rent an aerator for about the same money or use a pitchfork which is much cheaper but is a lot of work. If you have a lot of time on your hands and a limited amount of resources, the pitchfork is the smart way to aerate. If time is tight and money is no object, one of the other two methods should be chosen.
Pitchfork Aerating
Let’s say you opted for aerating your lawn with a pitchfork. First water the lawn and allow the moisture to soak into the ground. This will make it easier to thrust the pitchfork into the ground. Begin at the most compacted areas and thrust the pitchfork into the ground about two inches. Gently move the pitchfork back and forth so that when you remove it, there are small holes left in its wake. You don’t want to tear the soil up, simply puncture some holes which will allow moisture and nutrients to penetrate the hard surface. Continue until all areas have been aerated.
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Product Description
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One thing that attracts us to a home is the curb appeal of the lawn. A lush, beautiful lawn makes people look with envy. Most likely though, the homeowners did not move in with that lawn, they had to work for it. Here are some tips that will help you obtain the same beautiful lawn you envy so much.
Before you Mow
Before beginning you should inspect your lawn. Make sure there are no rocks or sticks that are hiding deep within your lawn. Rocks can dull the blades of your lawn mower as well as be thrown through a window or hurt an innocent bystander. Remove anything that could be thrown by your mower and pick up any paper or plastic that may have landed in your yard from nearby streets. If you have any furniture that needs to be moved, you may want to move it to a patio or on a sidewalk. Allowing your mower to sit in one place while you move furniture can damage that patch of grass.
Maintain your Mower
Once all the debris is removed from your lawn, you will need to check your lawn mower to ensure it is in proper working order. If there is any clumps of grass from your last mowing session, remove them and dispose of them in a garbage can. Check the blades to make sure they are sharpened and balanced. If they are bent, you should replace them with new blades. Fill the fuel tank with fuel and wipe away any spillage that may have occurred. Set your mower to the appropriate height before beginning. It should be set so that you are only removing the top one third of the growth.
Trim Before you Mow
Any areas of your lawn that need trimming with a weed wacker should be done before you begin mowing. Many times these trimmings are left on the lawn creating a straw like debris that can damage your lawn. Trimming before you mow will allow the mower to pick up any trimmings that were left behind. Only trim as far away from fencing and patios as the lawn mower will miss, this is usually about three inches or so.
Mowing your Lawn
You are finally ready to begin mowing. You can mow your lawn in any manner you see fit such as diagonal, horizontal, or sections but never mow in a circle or spiral. This throws all the cut grass into the middle and creates a large pile of dried material that will damage your grass. Let’s suppose you are cutting in a diagonal. Begin with the longest line first which is normally in the center of the lawn. Once you reach the end of the first line, turn either way and begin overlapping the second line with the first going in the opposite direction. Reaching the end of each line, you will turn and overlap, mowing in the opposite direction. When you have completed one section, move to the next and continue in the same manner.
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Buy at Amazon – Husqvarna 87521RES 961430022 21″ 3N1 ES VS RWD Mower
Product Description
Husqvarna, 3-N-1, Electric Key Start, Variable Speed, Self Propelled Lawn Mower, 190CC Briggs & Stratton 875 Series OHV Engine, 8.75 Ft.-Lbs. Gross Torque Rating, Rear Wheel Gear Drive System, 21″, High-Tunnel, Steel Deck, Rear Bag/Side Discharge/Mulch Capable, Mulch Kit Included, 8″ Front & Rear Ball Bearing Wheels, 5-Position Fingertip Height Adjusters, Fully Assembled With Folding Handles, Engine Oil Included In Carton, 2 Year Limited Consumer Warranty, Void If Used For Pro/Commercial Applications, Not Available For Sale In California.
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From the Manufacturer
Revolutionary handheld blower that combines high power with state-of-the-art ergonomic design. The blower tube is engineered to be in line with the handle, minimizing rotational force on the wrist. The 125BX blower is perfect for homeowner use. Comes complete with a flare nozzle for higher air speed.
Product Description
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From the Manufacturer
The 455 Rancher is an ideal saw for landowners and part-time users who require a high powered, heavy-duty and responsive workmate for all cutting conditions. It combines the best characteristics of its predecessor with new, facilitating technology and ergonomics.
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