Fall Preparations for Your Garden

Important things to do in your garden fall preparations

It goes without saying that in the era of junk food and GMO, there is nothing more important than having a healthy source of food. The only way to ensure this, however, is to grow it in your garden with your own two hands. Those who have tried this know that there is nothing more satisfying than making a dish out of your homegrown veggies and herbs.

Still, in order to make your garden at the top of its game, you need to take care of it the whole year long, including its winter survival. Never is this care so important as in the beginning of the fall. There are several important steps you must take in this period and here are some of them.

If you have trees in and around your garden, cleaning dry leaves will be one of your garden fall responsibilities.

Harvesting the Veggies

Fall is the harvest time and during this period, onions, carrots, potatoes and winter squashes are ripe for the taking. However, just picking them up is not enough since you may need to prepare and store them for the winter. When it comes to root vegetables, the key thing is that you do not remove the top of the root. In this way, you can easily just put them in the refrigerator where they can wait out the winter. As for potatoes, all you have to do is find a cool and humid storage and you no longer have anything to worry about. Speaking of the onions, naturally you leave some for the seed and the rest you can keep in dark and airy place. Also, now would be the right time to plant the garlic.

Harvesting your vegetables in the fall is one of the garden jobs that makes it all worthwhile.

Checking the Soil

Immediately after you have finished collecting whatever there was in the soil, you may want to check its pH. A pH kit is not an expensive item, but it is not one commonly used either. You can find it at any plant nursery or even look it up in an online store. The ideal pH value of the soil should be somewhere between 6.3 and 6.9. If your value is below this range, you may try to add some lime to it. On the other hand, if it goes way above, adding elemental sulfur might be the right solution. In the end, think about the next season and add the compost and similar organic amendments to the ground. A layer of fertilizer little over 1-inch thick should be enough to replenish the soil.

If your garden has the right ph value of the soil, it will keep on producing vegetables throughout the summer and the autumn.

Pests Are Still an Issue

Finally, even though bugs may not be as present during this cold weather, larger pests are still an issue. Luckily, here you have a plethora of non-toxic, natural means of fighting them. For example, you can build a fence or grow a protective barrier in the form of a hedge. To fight the birds off, you can always place a scarecrow in the middle of your garden (this can also be a visual upgrade). In the end, the best way to keep your garden pest free is to keep it clean. Piles of rubbish are places which various pests may use as a cover, so getting someone to deal with them might be a good idea. Seeing how we never make more effort cleaning the household than when we are about to move out, you may want give your garden a good end of lease cleaning.

Homegrown vegies and herbs make for healthy and satisfying nutrition

Anyone who has ever tried to grow vegetables fully knows the importance of fall. This season alone has the power to determine the future success of your garden. It is also an auspicious time since you get to reap all the fruits of your year-long labor. This alone is what keeps most people going when the going gets tough. Luckily, if you are well-organized and systematic, you can easily do all of the above mentioned in a heartbeat and then rest at ease during winter.

All above images courtesy of Pixabay

Author bio:

Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls and a passionate traveler. In her free time she enjoys writing about home and family, pets and gardening.

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