Plant a fall garden this year and now worried about the temperatures dropping? I am going to share some tips on things to do to protect your fall garden.
How To Protect Your Fall Garden
When The Temperature Drops
Fall is hitting hard and fast this year, with a few nice days still mixed in. For many of us, our fall gardens are still thriving and we would like to help the plants make it through the fall and guide our perennials into a smooth transition for winter.
If you have started planting before winter you may be concerned that these plants won’t survive let alone thrive. The good news is you can help your fall garden thrive when the temperatures drop.
Mulch:
Mulch is your gardens best friend as cold weather moves in. Trapping the heat in the soil allowing roots to stay strong and healthy when the temperature plummets. Place a barrier like gardening fabric around plants then cover with 2-4 inches of mulch. This will help keep your fall garden growing strong and help your perennials weather through the long cold winter ahead.
It does not have to be wood mulch either. Straw is another great option to use for mulch. It also works great for root crops you will be pulling up when the weather is very cold.
Fall Garden Covering:
Protect your plants from frost. Well into the fall you can keep your plants thriving by covering them when the frost rolls in. This can be done simply with large plastic buckets turned upside down over smaller plants.
Tomato cages can be covered with plastic sheeting or even plastic trash bags in a pinch. Check the weather several times a day to allow you the most warning when a frost is expected.
If you find yourself wanting to have a year-round garden, you can build a structure to protect plants. Then the fall garden can thrive and produce well into the winter. Build frames over your garden beds that can hold low poly tunnels.
These tunnels act like a little greenhouse for your garden beds. If you garden well into the winter these can be carefully heated and extra layers of poly added to keep your plants warm. These will trap heat and give your plants the most frost protection without the cost of a full greenhouse.
Low Water & Fertilizer:
Go light on the water and fertilizer. The fall can be especially wet so you don’t need to water your garden as much as you did in the summer. Watering right before a frost can damage the roots of your plant and if the leaves get wet they can be damaged as well.
Limiting fertilizer will allow your plant to focus on preserving its self more than producing new growth when the weather gets cold. Taking a step back from your garden can help it thrive in the cool fall weather.
Need More Garden Tips?
- 7 Vegetable Garden Plants That Grow in the Shade
- Tips On How To Vacation Proof Your Garden
- 7 Reasons to Plant a Windowsill Garden
- How To Grow In The Winter – Winter Gardening
- How To Help Plants Hit By Frost & Ways To Prepare Plants For Frost Coming
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