![]() ![]() Tuck in seeds anywhere there is a bit of room, or use containers. Plant seeds of quick-maturing cool-season vegetables: lettuce, spinach, arugula and other leafy greens, radish and short-rooted carrots. ![]() ![]() Cover with a clean plastic bag to create a moisture dome until the plant roots, in just a few weeks. Dip in rooting hormone, then place in a container of perlite (or very light weight potting soil). Take a 4-inch cutting from a healthy branch, remove lower leaves and any flower buds. The key is taking cuttings before the plants freeze. Try coleus, sweet potato vine, lantana, geranium, impatiens and begonia. Many outdoor ornamental annuals can be propagated from tip cuttings now and grown indoors for winter enjoyment. In early March, or when the soil isn’t too wet or frozen, cut down the growth low to the ground (it may not be very tall), then turn it over so it will break down for a few weeks before planting cool season crops. They will need some water to get established, but generally no care after that. Follow package instructions for seeding depth and area coverage. Look for cover crop seeds at garden centers or through mail order. Direct seed them after clearing out spent vegetables or ornamental beds before it gets too cold (by mid-October) for seeds to germinate. Winter rye helps build and improve soil structure. Look for Austrian winter peas or hairy vetch. Legume seeds add nitrogen to the soil when they are tilled under and left to decompose. They also help keep soil erosion down during windy winter weather, along with reducing weeds and insect pests. Fall is a good time to improve it for next year.Ĭover crops, also known as green manures, offer the one-stop planting answer to bring soil up to ideal standards. Optimal soil is fertile so plants have plenty of nutrients for blooms or fruit production, plus ample air and space to grow roots. Leave a 2-inch piece of stem attached to the fruit.īoth ornamental and vegetable gardens need optimal soil to support plant life. A good indicator is to harvest winter squash and pumpkins when a fingernail cannot easily puncture the rind. This helps them store for many weeks in a cool, dry, dark place. Winter squash, which includes butternut, buttercup, hubbard, acorn, kabocha and many pumpkin varieties, are harvested when fully mature, and the fruit has developed a hard skin. ![]() Summer squash (zucchini, patty-pan or scallop, yellow straight or crookneck) and winter squash are warm-season crops and will not survive fall frosts. Keep tomatoes away from a sunny window to ripen. Light is not necessary for ripening, though some light will help with the color intensity. Wrap each in newspaper until ripe, or simply place in a box (not touching each other) in a room with 65-70 degree temperatures. If not covering harvest tomatoes prior to frost, look for mature green tomatoes (dull, light green in color) or ones that are beginning to develop color. Be sure to remove covers the next day when it warms up. Covers must extend over the entire plant and be secured to the ground to keep heat trapped inside. Plastic transfers cold to the plant, so only use on top of row covers or sheets. Use lightweight sheets or the thickest floating row covers to cover when lower temperatures are predicted. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu ![]()
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