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Fall Organic Gardening Tips

Fall is an excellent time to be in the garden.  While much of what you’ve planted over the summer is coming to a close.  There is a lot you can still do in your organic garden both to continue the harvest for this year and prepare for an even better one next year.

Here is a quick list of fall organic gardening tips that will make your flower and veggie gardens look their best now and in the next gardening year ahead.

Plant Cool Season Crops

Leafy greens like Lettuce, Spinach, and Kale along with root crops like Carrots and Radishes, are back in full swing in most fall organic gardens.  Peas and most varieties of beans are some other cool season crops that with a bit of preparation  can also thrive in the fall in most areas.  Depending on your zone the variety of other crops you can plant for fall harvest will vary.

Mix in Some Compost

Remember to add compost in the fall both to those spaces where you’re replanting for a fall harvest as well as the spaces in your garden finished for the year.  Adding compost in the fall is really ideal for your organic garden.  This way it has time to really sink in and feed the soil while it rests for the winter.  The proof is in the abundant and healthy harvest you’ll reap next year from your preparedness this fall.

Plant Bulbs

Both vegetable and flower bulbs like garlic and tulips can be planted now so they’ll be ready in the spring.  Again, be sure to add in some compost and mulch as needed during plantcold frame for organic gardeninging.

Get Out the Hoop House / Cold Frame

Now’s the time to put the hoop houses and cold frames back up to extend your growing season along with your viable crop varieties.  Again, depending on your zone when you actually need these items will vary but, better to be prepared; the first frost can sneak up on you.  If you have your cold frame ready though you can protect your crops and keep your harvest going long into the winter if not year round!

Sow Cover Crops

Depending on your garden fall is also a nice time to sow cover crops.  Feeding the soil with cover crops is another way to prepare for the next growing season and has a myriad of benefits for the organic farmer and gardener.

Add Trees and Perennials

While this is something that can be done in the spring as well, adding trees, shrubs, and perennials is a smart thing to do in the fall because they’re often at a discount this time of year.  Garden centers need to get rid of the last of the years stock before winter and some money is better than no money.  If you wait long enough you can find plants and trees anywhere from 40-50% Off and more!  Get them now, save money, and have new plants to anticipate seeing in all their glory this coming spring and summer.

While this can seem like a lot of work, fall is a wonderful time to be outside and, the garden will only benefit from your special care this time of year. Use these fall organic gardening tips and extend the harvest this year as well as prepare for a bountiful and beautiful organic garden next season.

 

 

 

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gallery, Natural Mamma's Recipes

Fresh Cucumber Salad on a Hot Day

I can’t really say for sure why we grow so many cucumbers, but every year we hit a point in the growing season where the cucumbers take over the kitchen. The kicker at our house is that although I like cucumbers in almost any form, my hubby thinks they make him burb, our oldest girl only likes them on like the third Tuesday of each month and the baby…well, she eats anything, but cucumbers she only likes to eat in spears without seasalt and again, this can change depending on the day and the current weather conditions.

Well I had a cucumber overload happening and those summer fruit flies were closing in on my fresh garden produce pile so I had to make something quick, simple and tasty. Knowing full well that the rest of the family wasn’t likely to help me finish off whatever creation I came up, I decided to go with my family recipe for Fresh Cucumber Salad modified slightly to possibly appeal to the rest of the crowd that sits around our dinner table.

You will find my recipe below. I don’t include onions, well because my kids don’t like onions. I don’t do the vinegary style either because they seem to turn their nose up on any salads with that kind of flavor. And I drain and salt the cucumbers in hopes that they won’t cause my life partner too many gastric repercussions.  Isn’t it funny how eating naturally can be so complicated!

Was it a hit?! It was gone. No one wowed over it or said can you make that again, BUT, it was gone which usually if it sucks, there are lots of leftovers to prove it. So share your thoughts. Tell me what I can do to make it better or what not to do next time, but I think I am on my way to having a future family favorite on the table each cucumber season.

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Fresh Cucumber Salad on a Hot Day
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Just a great kid friendly way to use up those garden cucumbers in a perfect salad for a hot day!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Nayonaise or Mayonaise
  • 2 Large Cucumbers-Peeled and sliced thin
  • 1½ tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tbspn Sugar or Honey/Agave flavor equivalent
  • Sea Salt
  • Dill
  • Celery Salt
  • Onion Powder
Instructions
  1. First peel your cucumbers and slice them very thin. Place in a layers in a bowl; sprinkling each layer with sea salt. Let the cucumbers sit for at least one hour in the salt. Then pour cucumbers into colander draining off excess liquids. Mix yogurt, mayonaise, sugar and lemon juice. Add sea salt, dill, celery salt and onion powder to taste. Once blended remove cucumbers from colander by the handfull and squeeze out excess liquids into sink before adding to yogurt mixture. Continue to press and add cucumbers until all have been added. Fold gently into yogurt mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving!