The months of September and October are quite busy for garden owners. Now numerous fruits and vegetables are still ripening, which of course have to be harvested and processed. The emptied beds are then dug up or gently processed with a digging fork. You should take this opportunity to incorporate lime, potassium, magnesium and phosphate fertilizers as required, thus preparing the soil for the coming season.

There is still a lot to harvest in autumn

Caring for the vegetable garden properly in the fall

You must continue to water the garden in autumn as long as it stays dry. This is especially true for strawberries, as the moisture promotes the formation of new flowers and thus has a direct impact on the harvest in the coming year. The soil should be mulched and/or loosened regularly so that air can continue to reach the roots. In continuous rain, stick tomatoes - which, by the way, still need to be pinched and pruned - should be protected with a foil roof.

Protection against the first frosty nights

From around mid-October, there are often the first frosty nights. Especially freshly planted and Mediterranean herbs, but also sensitive late vegetables should now be provided with winter protection. Potted plants that are not very frost-resistant belong in a light and cool place in the house.

pruning fruit trees

Fruit trees can still be pruned well in early autumn. However, if you wear them until late October, it is better to postpone the cut until next spring or the following summer. On the other hand, you can cut autumn raspberries immediately after the last harvest, and you can also remove the worn-out canes of the blackberries. Only the young rods remain on the trellis as winter protection.

Which fruits and vegetables are harvested in autumn

The last fruit should be picked before temperatures drop below zero at night. Fruit vegetables and legumes such as potatoes, fennel bulbs, radishes and onions must also be harvested before the onset of frost. Tomatoes and pumpkins also ripen very well indoors. Carrots, beetroot, turnips, lettuce and iceberg lettuce, on the other hand, tolerate a light frost. Brussels sprouts and especially kale, on the other hand, taste best after they have been exposed to light frosts.

Planting and sowing in the autumn garden

In September, numerous vegetables and herbs can still be sown outside, for example:

  • Lamb's lettuce
  • spinach
  • arugula
  • winter purslane
  • garden cress
  • wild garlic (for next year's harvest)
  • Real chamomile (also)

You can still plant lettuce and iceberg lettuce outside until about mid-September, and winter onion sets, garlic, wild garlic and rhubarb until October. Sturdy herbs like parsley and comfrey can also be planted well in the fall. Garden strawberries are optimally planted in early September, while greenhouse seeds for winter and early spring harvest are sown in October. This is especially true for lamb's lettuce and spinach.

tips

If the beds are already free in September, you can spread various green manure plants such as phacelia or mustard. In October this is only possible with winter rye.

Category:

Vegetable garden