Fall is Here
The heatwave has finally broken this week…thank goodness. The mornings are crisp and cool. Fall is officially here! The tomatoes don’t taste as vibrant and bright as they did in August. Just like the seasons, the garden is winding down too. If you have not already done so it is time to remove all the summer veggies. Just a reminder, do NOT dig out plants, instead cut at the base where the plants meet the soil. Leaving the roots to decompose into the soil. Doing so adds much needed organic materials for the microorganisms to eat.
October is a fantastic time to update your garden! Over planting in the fall allows and covering bare soil with plants helps the soil to absorb all the rains instead of the rain just running off. It also inhibits weeds from growing since you have less bare soil.
Plants of course give off oxygen for us to breathe, but the plants and roots also take excess carbon from the air to make carbohydrates to feed soil organisms. This is just something to think about as you are accessing your fall garden. Where do you need to add plants? If you aren’t sure what to plant? Reach out, we are here to help!
In addition to over planting in your garden, you may also want to plant a winter vegetable garden. I love to plant a few winter veggies and cover crop the rest of the planting areas. If you are not familiar with cover crop, it is planting to cover bare soil rather than for the purpose of harvesting. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, water absorption, keep weeds down, and most importantly add bio-diversity and wildlife to soil.
In northern California, I suggest planting cover crop in early November right before you see a good rain in the forecast. I buy seeds in bulk and I mix them in a big giant bucket then heavily distribute them into planting areas, just barely mixing them into the soil. Over winter the plants will grow about 2-3 feet tall. In the January newsletter I will explain how to cut back your cover crop in early February and capitalize on the amazing healthy soil filled with biodiversity! Stay tuned…
