Fall & Winter Edible Garden To-Do List

They say gardening ends in the fall. But, in reality, that’s not the case. Contrary to popular belief, the cooler months of the year are still a perfect time to get into edible gardening.

While winter gardening might not be as colorful as gardening in the spring or summer, it would still give you a fruitful harvest. Aside from that, a fall or winter garden has a laid-back vibe, and you don’t have to worry about irritating pests and irrigation management.

With that said, do you wish to try growing a fall and winter edible garden? Here are some things you should include in your to-do list to help you get started on the right path.

1. Take Down Notes

If you’re a beginner in gardening, keeping a journal can help you become better. While you tend to your garden in the warmer months, it’s important to take note of your summer discoveries.

Whether they are successes or mistakes, a new favorite plant, or an irritating pest, you should pile up on the knowledge so you can use your notes as guidance for the future.

2. Save the Seeds

If you want to keep on growing edible plants in your garden, you should consider saving seeds to plant for the next season. However, it is essential to note that saving seeds can be pretty complex.

You have to find viable seeds, which are the only ones that can reproduce plants and act exactly like the parent plant. Should you have a hybrid plant, remember that its seeds will not produce a plant identical to the parent.

3. Remove Dead Plants

After the harvest, it’s time to pull out dead and diseased plants from your summer growing. Besides that, ensure you also sweep through and remove pests, diseases, and fungal spores.

Because of the difference in weather during the fall and winter, you should also add compost to the soil. Compost can help the earth stay healthy, and the worms in the compost can prepare the ground for the next round of planting. For best results, make sure your compost is about 2 to 4 inches thick.

4. Start a Compost Pile

Consequently, you should also start creating a new batch of compost. The best type of compost is the one made in large batches. If you start making homemade compost in the fall, you can enjoy the perfect ratio of carbon to nitrogen.

Add the green vines, the summer plants you’ve removed from your garden, and dried fall leaves. If you can, you should also include some discarded pumpkins you get during the fall in your compost pile.

5. Plant Your Fall & Winter Edible Species

Consequently, take the time to begin a second session of planting through the year during the fall. The perfect plants to grow in the cool season, perhaps from September to October, are cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, beets, kale, lettuce, onions, and peas.

If you are from the Southwest, Southeast, and the rest of the West Coast, you can grow vegetables like garlic, onions, kale, spinach, sweet peas, and Swiss Chard.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to start an edible garden during the cooler months of the year, you can start making your preparations. Follow the steps above and get a head start on your fall and winter edible gardening plans.

If you want to learn more tips about how to grow your own food, you should check out the other resources from Blossom & Broom. We offer help for home maintenance, garden aesthetics, permaculture, and other tips. Explore the rest of our site today to learn more!