Fall Gardening Guide

Posted by Rachel

October 1, 2008

It’s that time of year again. Time to get the garden ready for fall, and plant some of my favorite stuff – broccoli, greens, lettuce, carrots, beets, etc. I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself!

After the disappointing failure of my garden this summer, I’ve taken every step I can think of to make sure that this season I get some goodies. I sent a few soil samples off to get the pH and nutrient levels tested. I found out that I had almost no nitrogen in my soil and waaaaay too much phosphorus. Between that and the extreme heat this summer, I understand why nothing was growing.

After getting my soil results back from the Texas Extension, I went to my favorite local organic gardening center, The Natural Gardener, to get some advice. John and his crew are so amazingly knowledgeable, and they helped set me up with all of the soil amendments I’ll need to make sure that I have a garden that flourishes this fall.

So, for the last week or so, I’ve been tilling and sifting and fertilizing my two 9′x4′ plots, getting them ready for this Friday when I put everything in the ground. I was having a hard time deciding what exactly I wanted to plant and where to plant it. You see, companion planting is code I have yet to completely decipher. It seems like everywhere I look, I find conflicting information or I just have a hard time situating everybody in the garden next to one of their friends while avoiding a potential nemesis.

But, as luck would have it, I found this incredible layout that happens to work perfectly for a garden my size! This plot is recommended for Central Texas gardens, but honestly, I bet it would work well anywhere that has a temperate fall and winter. So, if you are planning a fall garden, you should give this plot a try with me. And then, we can chat about about our results.

Happy Fall Gardening!

Gardening