Dear Abbie - Planting a Fall Garden
Dear Abbie: I want to fill some empty space in my garden, so I purchased some fall plants. I am really excited, and nervous too! How can I plant them for a successful garden? I am afraid they might just die!
Dear Nervous Gardener: No worries! You are doing great! Many people only think about starting a fall garden, you took the next step and are well on your way, congratulate yourself and relax! Here are my top tips for planting your fall garden:
Check with the greenhouse you purchased your plants from, are they hardened off? Our plants are semi-hardened off, we still recommend giving them a few days of extra care to adjust to your garden environment. This is a good practice for any plant you purchase, esp. if you do not know if they were previously hardened off.
Water them well before and after transplanting. Then water regularly, esp. during hot periods.
Plant into well amended soil, high in organic matter. If needed, apply a high quality organic fertilizer according to the fertilizer directions. Many fall plants are heavy feeders.
Provide shade for the first few days after transplanting esp. during extremely hot weather. This can be accomplished by using shade cloth or planting beside or under plants that will provide shade (such as planting near a trellis of cucumbers or beans!)
If pests, such as cabbage worms, are a known problem in your garden, consider covering your plants with insect netting at the time of transplanting. And/or monitor plants frequently and hand pick off pests.
Happy gardening!
Abbie, The Heirloom Farmer
