Guest Post – Fall vegetable gardening

Here is Havenhill in the Fall a few years ago:

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I’d like to welcome Raquel to the blog today! She is going to be talking about planting a Fall vegetable garden, and how to plan for it.

(I’d like to say that I don’t agree with her about the genetically modified seeds….I don’t think they have ANY apparent advantages. She does however make mention of “safety issues for the consumers, ecological issues, and economic concerns.” and I DO agree with that wholeheartedly. As for where to find nonGMO seeds, Bentley Seeds is a good place to start online.)

Sorry, just had to add my two cents worth, and Raquel was totally ok with it. Thank you for sharing, Raquel!

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Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are those organisms that have gone through genetic engineering or had their DNAs altered using certain techniques. These can produce genetically modified foods (GM foods) and genetically modified seeds (GM seeds). Genetic modification is usually undertaken to foster growth, fight common pathogens affecting the stock, synthesize additional useful nutrients, and for some other beneficial reason.

 

Despite the apparent advantages with the use of GM organisms or seeds, however, this is largely opposed by critics as a source of food on several grounds.  These include safety issues for the consumers, ecological issues, and economic concerns.

 

If you want to grow veggies from non-GMO seeds, what do you need to know?

 

  • Where can you buy your non-GMO seeds? These days when the seed market is largely monopolized by a GMO seed-producing company, finding non-GMO seeds can be a problem. To be able to get your seeds, know where to get them. There are several resources in the Internet that can tell you where to order them or what brands to buy.

 

  • What are fall veggies? If you are growing fall vegetables, know that those plants that can thrive in the colder weather are considered fall veggies. These may be the same as those that grow during early spring or summer; it actually depends on the climate in your place. For instance, in places where summer is never above 85 degrees, you may plant fall vegetables even in summer such as peas, broccoli, spinach, and cabbage. But, in places where the temperature can easily go higher than 85 degrees, these vegetables cannot be planted during summers.

 

  • How do you get ready for fall gardening? Start with preparing the ground. Make sure that the soil has a pH of 6.0 or higher. If the soil is acidic (under 6.0), add a pound of lime for every 100 square feet of ground. Make sure to weed out dead plants, sickly plants, and those that are not bearing fruits anymore to prevent contaminating the next batch of crops. Work out or condition the soil by rototilling and adding an inch or two of good compost.

 

  • What fall vegetables do you want? Greens are good veggies to plant because most types of salad greens can be cultivated and picked at different stages. This means having fresh, organic salads on the table all the time. These vegetables are also easy to grow in containers/planters, for a few hours sunlight, and without much fuss – no pruning needed and no staking. These greens include – collards, arugula, kale, endive, lettuce, spinach, mustard, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.

 

  • What other fall veggies can you grow? If you want vegetables you can cook, grow these veggies that love cool weather and that mature fast before the first frost – peas, beans, beets, leeks, radish, fennel, bunching green onion, pepper, shallots, garlic, and large chives.

 

So, when the temperature starts dropping, there is something you can do in the garden or in your indoor planters. This is a great time to reorganize garden sheds to prepare for fall gardening.

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About the Author

Raquel Merc has mainly contributed about travel and lifestyle. But she’s also started writing a variety of articles on home management and parenting since becoming a mother in 2010. Among her recent works feature ideas and insights on food, home organisers, and garden sheds.