I have long been a big proponent of using the full gardening season to grow and produce fruits, vegetables and herbs in your garden. I am not even talking about using season extension methods like row cover or high tunnels, but instead simply taking advantage of our fairly long growing season.
I posted a fall growing timeline on Talking Hocking back on July 8th. You read that right, summer is when you plan your planting. You look at the frost and freeze dates and count backward. I listed the best varieties to plant in the post. I planted in early August the next round of zucchini and green beans.
The best thing about fall is that many of the problems you face in spring and summer go away. The temperatures moderate, the rain comes back and the bad bugs go away. There are a ton of pollinators just looking for something with a flower. You have ideal growing conditions and in many cases will get a larger harvest than the summer one.
Here is what a squash blossom looks like when it is not full of cucumber beetles
The green bean patch looks ragged but that was after a fourth picking of beans. Still have at least one or two left before they are done for the season, but that still means beans until Halloween.
I thick planted carrot seed from a color mix. As they mature I will pick out the largest carrots which will give room for the smaller carrots to grow larger. They are cold tolerant and so the carrot patch will last until Thanksgiving. They look and taste great too.
The weather prediction for fall frost and freeze noted a later arrival than most years. That is helping for sure. Not every year is like this one, but seed is cheap. I planted 3 zucchini plants, 3 squash plants and a 9″ row of beans. Cost was less than $2, totally worth it to take the chance and most of the plants still look great.
The ten day forecast for Logan has a small chance of a frost next week Monday night. I am hoping the micro climate of my office, the street and the parking lot keeps it above 40 degrees. If so I bet I will be eating these little beauties next week.
Next year make sure to take advantage of fall weather and make a plan to extend your harvest. Fall is a great time for growing and you will be surprised by the amount you can sneak in before the frost and freeze dates.
