Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Sunny Simple Life Fall Planting Guide

zinnias in garden, rooster garden sign

Are you all enjoying the fruits of your summer gardens? Well, don't rest just yet. I little planting now will yield some great crops you can continue to harvest well into fall and if you are in a mild climate like me, all winter long.

I will share my fall planting guide and you can take bits and pieces you may want to try in your garden.

This is the time of year I start to clean the garden out a bit of anything that is spent or just too rangy to keep.
I also add more compost to refortify the soil from summer plants that have taken up nutrients.

seeds, radish, sunflowers, arugula
                                "Some women buy makeup, I buy seeds." -- Me
                                  Seed packets from Armstrong Garden Center
Cooler temps are a perfect time to grow the greens that are so healthy. Even in a pot you can grow a bunch of kale, a super food, for smoothies, salads and stir fries.

Cool weather crops like broccoli and spinach are wonderful to grow. I grow the broccolini to save space in my smaller garden and for faster results.

What to plant in zone 10 in fall for winter garden.

What to plant in zone 10 in fall for winter garden.
Here is a list of what I grow from fall all through the winter:

Vegetables

  • Kale
  • Bok Choy
  • Swiss Chard
  • Arugula
  • Broccolini
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Radish
  • Tomatoes (until frost if we get one)
  • Cucumbers (new plants will give you a crop into fall)Sugar snap peas


Herbs:

  • Parsley
  • Dill
  • Cilantro


*Update:
I now add a late summer planting of summer squash to extend the harvest through fall and I also plant about six broccoli plants. I keep at least one to two plants in the ground through summer harvesting the leaves for the chickens. They love them and it gives the chickens a source of fresh greens through the year that I can pick daily and costs me nothing.

urban vegetable garden, small lot farming

I do not grow lettuce here as no matter the type, it is bitter for me. Not sure if it is my soil but I prefer to use the space for crops we love. Also cabbage is a wonderful cool weather crop but we don't eat it so I don't plant it.

And don't forget flowers. I just put in more zinnias and sunflowers as our falls are warm here well until after Thanksgiving but soon the glorious pansies will be out and I will fill in with those as well.
Don't be afraid to mix flowers and vegetables in the garden. The flowers attract bees and they are important pollinators for your fruit and vegetables. Beauty and purpose is very gratifying for the gardening soul.
Here are some tomatoes, verbena and zinnias in my front yard.

zinnias, tomatoes, verbena, front garden


You can see some of my fall posts from past years here and here


13 comments:

  1. Elaine,

    I have a crazy ? but I've never worked with chicken poop. My neighbor down the way has a ton of it and told me to come get it. I thought I would work it into the pumpkin patch and where I'm going to plant my new flower garden and the veggie garden. Do I just dump it on the soil and hoe it in or do I need to throw it in the compost pile? Please and thank-you.

    Hugs,

    Valerie
    Cottage Making Mommy
    www.lovingmyheartandhome.blogspot.com

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  2. How great. Unfortunately about all I can grow in my garden over the winter are leeks. It's just too wet and cold o grow anything else! Joan

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  3. What a great, informative post!!! I am going to the nursery this week for my seeds!
    xo Kris

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  4. Thanks for the tips. Now that I am retired, I can do fall planting.

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  5. Love seeing your garden ! So nice that you get to keep on growing , I have that problem with lettuce too !

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  6. You are the busiest blogger I know and oh so clever.

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  7. I have never done any fall planting. Here in northern IL, August is hot and then it's cold by October. Thank you so much for posting about that Sprout Robot site - I just took a look at it and entered my zip code and was amazed how it gives you a monthly time frame showing you just what to plant - so cool!

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  8. Wow, your garden is looking soooo good. Can't wait until we can plant ours. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  9. Y'all are blessed with a long growing season. How wonderful! You are such an awesome homemaker. I don't know where you find the time to do it all!

    Did you get the Atomic Starburst mugs? I love that pattern, and if I had a mid century modern house I'd collect it, I think.

    xo,
    RJ

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  10. Wonderful post and info ! I am the same . some women buy makeup and hair colour I buy flowers , garden things and bird seed lol ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a good week !

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  11. Such a pretty garden! I'm so excited for our fall garden this year. I'll have to try the broccolini, thanks for the tip! It's still over 100 here though :( so I have to wait a little longer. Love seeing your pretty flowers!

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  12. Thanks so much for these tips. We are in So Cal also and I never know what grows here. I do not have the greenest thumb (haha) but I do dream of having my own garden one day. Have a great day! Angela at sunnysweetlife.blogspot.com

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