Fall: Like it or not, it’s here.

Summer gets all the glory when it comes to gardens. Sure, it’s the time of year when the majority of our garden crops prefer to grow but just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you should put down the watering can just yet. Right now the West Coast Foodscapes garden is still producing the last of the tomato and pepper crops. Two different generations of carrots are coming along, as well as, beets, radishes, scallions, cilantro, spinach, parsley, thyme, swiss chard, snow peas, and numerous lettuces. Some gardeners are still growing their pumpkins, strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.. So, I’m still making salads from my garden, and will continue to do so for some time to come, while some of you may have called it quits weeks ago.

Ok, I get it, some people like to mellow out and take a break until next spring. I can appreciate that. Personally, I am heartbroken when I have to return to the grocery store to buy the items I normally grow in the garden. Seems so wrong! Especially when it’s easy to just carry on and plant more seeds. It’s all about routine and setting time aside. Remember how exciting it is to see those plants start growing in the spring? Well, it’s no less exciting in October. And for those of us on BC’s South Coast, the growing season can be significantly longer than most Canadians enjoy. In fact, many months longer.

At a bare minimum, this is the time of year to get new garden beds started. Get them built and give those earthworms time to “move in” and take up residence. And equally important, plant one of the many cover crops that can still be sewn in fall. Cover crops is a topic all unto itself, but for now let me just say that cover crops are plants that you grow  to help build up the quality of the garden soil. Many of which can add more nitrogen to the soil than they take out while growing! And your summer plants need nitrogen.

So if you haven’t grown food in your garden in October before it’s time to reconsider what’s possible. And thereby be able to continue to put nutritious food on your family’s table.