Some vegetables overwinter in the vegetable garden without more protection than a small layer of earth and, in some cases, an additional layer of mulch. Plant them in the fall and forget about them over the winter. When spring comes, they sprout from the earth and delight you with a bountiful harvest.
This way you can extend the gardening season
Growing vegetables shouldn't necessarily end with the last days of summer. To extend the gardening season, less cold-sensitive vegetable plants that were sown in August, such as radishes, sugar peas, lettuce, kale and bok choy, can be covered with fleece. This means they can survive until the first frost.
Root vegetables can withstand even the very first frost and taste even better after that cold shock where the juices concentrate. Some of it can even overwinter in the garden and still look crisp in just-thawed ground if it has been protected by soil and an additional layer of mulch. This is the case, for example, with onions andPotatoes to plant in autumncan to enjoy an early harvest in spring.
Planting vegetables in autumn: what's coming into the garden now?
While October isn't a big month for sowing, there are still some vegetables that can be planted now. These include some of the most commonly used in cooking, namely garlic and onion. But what should you pay attention to when planting and what can still be added to the bed?
Put garlic in October
Although garlic can be planted as soon as the ground is dry in spring, its cloves are smaller and harder to store than if planted in the fall between mid-September and the first frost. The plant is afraid of moisture, which makes it susceptible to fungal diseases. Garlic therefore prefers well-drained soil in the sun.
For good, thick bulbs, garlic should be planted in the fall. Sowing is possible even at the end of the month if the weather is mild. It is important that the toes sprout before the onset of winter. These then overwinter in the bed and then have a good head start at the beginning of spring.
Before planting vegetables in the fall, enrich the soil with compost and loosen it. To plant garlic, you can stick thick cloves directly into the ground with the tip pointing upwards. The optimal planting depth is 4 to 6 centimeters. Insert the toes with a row spacing of 25 cm and 15 cm between the plants.
You can get more useful tips about planting garlic in autumnin this article.
Winter cultivation of spinach
The beginning of October is still a good time for sowing spinach. The leafy vegetables become ready to harvest from mid-November and can be harvested until the beginning of April. Since spinach can tolerate light frost, it can overwinter outside. At very low temperatures, the plants should be covered with fleece.
Spinach is perfect as a follow-on crop after various vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and potatoes. Place the seeds directly in the ground in holes 3-4 cm deep. Then cover with soil and water. It is best to plant the vegetables in rows with a distance of 20 cm between them. The distance between the individual plants should be approx. 15 cm.
The place should be sunny and the soil – loamy with a high humus content. Be sure to remove weeds in advance and loosen the soil before planting the spinach seeds.
Onions are in the fall
Onions are without a doubt one of the most used vegetables in the kitchen. They add flavor and aroma to savory dishes and it is not for nothing that every second recipe begins with the sentence: “Sautee onions in a preheated pan”. The versatile vegetable is not difficult to grow and can also be planted in autumn.
Winter onion sets, among other things, can be planted in October. This requires a distance between the rows of around 20 cm and a distance between the bulbs in each row of around 5 cm. The soil should be rich in humus and nutrients and have good water holding capacity. The plants overwinter in the bed and you can look forward to an early harvest next year. The green can also be used over the winter. It tastes like green onions and is a useful ingredient in the kitchen.
Jerusalem artichokes can also be planted in autumn
Jerusalem artichokes are a tuber vegetable similar to potatoes, but in contrast the plants are hardy and will sprout easily next year if planted in the fall. The tubers are planted in a similar way to potatoes. You should first enrich the soil with compost and then place the tubers 5-10 centimeters deep in the soil, 60x50 centimeters apart. The vegetable likes a humus-rich, slightly sandy soil and a sunny location. The water requirement is low - you only need to water during longer dry periods. When the herb turns brown, you can harvest the Jerusalem artichoke using a digging fork.
Also read:Sowing lamb's lettuce in October: Guide to a rich harvest in winter
Also interesting:Growing Jerusalem artichokes: a useful and ornamental plant in one
