As summer quietly draws to a close and temperatures start to fall, we're reminded just how busy our autumn gardening tasks can keep us. With so many tasks to perform, it can be a hectic time. Everything seems to need to be done all at once.
If you grow food crops, a lot of your harvesting will be done in the autumn months. Hardy fruits like apples and pears will all be ready, and soft fruits such as raspberries and blackberries all need picking before the birds make a meal of them. The more unusual fruits like grapes and figs need harvesting too, before the first frosts happens.
Brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts are ready for bringing in, and all varieties of capsicum should be harvested now. You can either pick them while they are still unripe, or you can bring the whole plant into your greenhouse and hang them upside down to continue ripening for a while. This works with tomatoes too if you haven't tried it.
Beans need harvesting constantly, or they'll simply stop producing any pods. Dig the roots into the soil, in either autumn or spring, and take advantage of the nitrogen that they've taken in. Brassicas will flourish in that area next time.
Most root vegetables are ready for harvesting in autumn, and can be made into wholesome soup and stew to get you through those long winter months. Potatoes need to be dug up and checked for any type of damage and holes before being stored in boxes or paper bags. Make sure you eat any damaged ones straight away.
Ornamental gardening isn't that much easier than crop growing now. Tender flowers and plants will need to be brought into the comparative warmth of a conservatory or glasshouse, and the bigger ones will need wrapping. Palm trees and banana plants can be protected with a wire frame filled with clean straw. Put a punctured plastic bag over the top so the straw doesn't get waterlogged. I know this from experience.
Having a general autumn clear up is definitely a good plan, but remember the local wildlife when you tidy up. Don't prune all seed and berry producing shrubs and trees until the fruit is all gone. Try making your own little houses for insects and bees to spend the winter in. They're very beneficial to your garden.
Fall gardening is hard work, but really rewarding. What you do now will affect your garden in the year to come. It's worth making the effort.
If you grow food crops, a lot of your harvesting will be done in the autumn months. Hardy fruits like apples and pears will all be ready, and soft fruits such as raspberries and blackberries all need picking before the birds make a meal of them. The more unusual fruits like grapes and figs need harvesting too, before the first frosts happens.
Brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts are ready for bringing in, and all varieties of capsicum should be harvested now. You can either pick them while they are still unripe, or you can bring the whole plant into your greenhouse and hang them upside down to continue ripening for a while. This works with tomatoes too if you haven't tried it.
Beans need harvesting constantly, or they'll simply stop producing any pods. Dig the roots into the soil, in either autumn or spring, and take advantage of the nitrogen that they've taken in. Brassicas will flourish in that area next time.
Most root vegetables are ready for harvesting in autumn, and can be made into wholesome soup and stew to get you through those long winter months. Potatoes need to be dug up and checked for any type of damage and holes before being stored in boxes or paper bags. Make sure you eat any damaged ones straight away.
Ornamental gardening isn't that much easier than crop growing now. Tender flowers and plants will need to be brought into the comparative warmth of a conservatory or glasshouse, and the bigger ones will need wrapping. Palm trees and banana plants can be protected with a wire frame filled with clean straw. Put a punctured plastic bag over the top so the straw doesn't get waterlogged. I know this from experience.
Having a general autumn clear up is definitely a good plan, but remember the local wildlife when you tidy up. Don't prune all seed and berry producing shrubs and trees until the fruit is all gone. Try making your own little houses for insects and bees to spend the winter in. They're very beneficial to your garden.
Fall gardening is hard work, but really rewarding. What you do now will affect your garden in the year to come. It's worth making the effort.
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Read still more about autumn gardening tips and learn about some helpful garden products to save you time and effort.
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