growing

Preparing for Autumn and Winter Gardening

Dan Fruits & Vegetables, This Land of Ours

autumnIn the third of her series on year round gardening, Cathy Isom has some tips about when to get ready for Autumn and Winter gardening. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

For the most part, autumn is a time for harvesting. However, early autumn as in around September is also a time to get plenty of cold-hardy crops in the ground for wintertime plucking. This list includes vegetables similar to those in the early spring: such as spinach, kale, lettuce, peas, radishes, and beets.

Most of these vegetables, along with broccoli, cabbage, and carrots, can weather frosts and survive through much of the winter. With nothing more than a cold frame, it’s possible to pick fresh vegetables long after the days have shortened and snow has begun falling.

Otherwise, fall is the time to start planting things for spring. Leeks, garlic and onions will produce sooner in the spring if planted in the fall. Spring cabbage, fava beans and peas will provide early spring harvests as well.

As for perennials, this is the time of fruit and nut trees. It’s a glorious season for bigtime production, much of which can be stowed away for eating over winter. This is also the right time for grapes.

I’m Cathy Isom…