September Garden Checklist

By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator

In September, days are getting shorter, and our gardens are experiencing a lot. Our mornings are brisk and our nights are cool. Most likely, everyone’s garden does not look the same. Some might have an abundance of red vine-ripened tomatoes ready to be picked and turned into delicious recipes. Others might have a bounty of green tomatoes that are waiting their turn to be harvested and devoured.

Here are some garden-related activities to do as we start our transition into fall.

Preserving

With the beautiful array of colors, tastes, and textures in our September gardens, now is a good time to start thinking about preserving your bounty. Whether you can, dehydrate, freeze or ferment, this project should definitely be on your checklist.

Cover Crop, Anyone?

Deciding whether or not you need a cover crop?  It can be as simple as opening a packet filled with hairy vetch, winter rye or even kale seeds, then broadcasting them across the soil. Or you can get more complicated and start with a soil test to get a more detailed analysis of what lies beneath and choose your cover crop accordingly. Cover crops can be a great way to amend the soil with nutrients your crops need to thrive. They can replenish nutrients captured by your harvested crop and add elements needed for your next crop, such as nitrogen.

Composting

Before you begin adding spent crop debris from your summer garden to your compost pile, harvest the mature compost and add it to your soil bed. Adding a layer of 3 to 5 inches should do the trick! When you go to add summer’s spent plants, make sure those with disease, pest infestations or fungal infections don’t make it into your compost pile (because who wants to deal with that next year?).

Planting a Fall Garden

Planting for a fall garden can be easy for some but difficult for others. There may not be many nurseries around with fall crop plants for sale. Direct sowing crops such as radish, lettuce, spinach, chard and peas is always an option. Crops like cabbage, broccoli, kale and collards are a great addition to a fall garden.

Season Extending

Now that we’ve have experienced a few less harsh winters, we can properly prepare to plant crops in our garden for a fall or winter harvest. Of course, there is always a catch! We can always depend on zone 6 to throw us a wrench here and there. To prepare for those times where the temperature is unexpectedly forecasted to drop, make sure your inventory is current with materials to protect your tender seedlings, such as a frost cover or a cold frame.