Planning for Fall Cool Weather Veggies

Now that your spring vegetables are past their time, it's time to make room in your gardens for upcoming fall vegetables.

Does a picture of a basket of fresh picked veggies make you hungry? ​Me neither.

But a steaming bowl of kale and roasted veggie soup? That'll do it.

The 8 most popular cool weather veggies:
1. kale - Peppery kale chips baked in the oven are going to be your new favorite snack.
2. lettuce - You can grow mixed lettuce varieties all in one pot for the ultimate salad at home.
3. broccoli - Homemade mac & cheese with broccoli is the best comfort food!
4. spinach - Add to stir fry, soups, sauteed veg mixes for more Iron in your diet.
5. swiss chard - Colors so gorgeous in your garden, you might not want to harvest them.
6. cauliflower - Turn these into a healthy mashed "potatoes" alternative.
7. brussel sprouts - Brown these in a pan with sesame oil, garlic, and fresh herbs
8. cabbage - Winter is coming, and adding cabbage to a hearty stew is heavenly in cold weather.

When to plant?
Usually late August in this area. Some veggies like kale taste sweeter after a couple of frosts.
​Its starches are converted to sugar with cold temps.

How to prepare:
Pull out old plants that are past their prime.
Plain old topsoil won't do the job. You want nutrient rich organic matter. If you haven't amended your soil yet this year mix 1/2 Bumper Crop Compost with 1/2 of your existing soil or with topsoil. You will also want to add some Organic Bio Tone root starter at the time of planting to help your plants get established. A root starter will give you the best chance at the most bountiful crop. 

Did you know that you can, and probably should, mulch your vegetable gardens with an all-natural mulch? A non-dyed hardwood or root mulch is a great option. Bark mulch may be too acidic. 
A thick (4 inch) layer of mulch helps to suppress weeds and retain moisture, plus it looks so nice!

​Yours in Planting,
​Marietta

---