The days are getting cooler and shorter, its true.

Fall veggies. (Pic | Kristina Cilia from Fotolia.com)

But don’t worry, there is still plenty of time to plant a fall garden. The USDA has classified the Hampton Roads area as zone 7B, which allows for a growing season that lasts far longer than most Northern Regions. Planting a fall garden is easy, quick and can provide crops that (hopefully) last well into November.

Some of the benefits of gardening in the fall:

1. Cooler days. Not only is it easier (and more enjoyable) to be outside on the crisp fall days, but the drop in temperature means that your water usage will be less, and it will be easier to defend your plants against pests and diseases.

2. Fall produce tends to be the most delicious. I imagine all the soups and stews you can make. Onions, garlic and shallots thrive in fall weather. You can also experiment with vegetables you’ve never grown before, such as parsnips, butternut squash and swiss chard.

3. Adding variety to your crops improves the health of your soil. By planting different types of crops, essential organic matter is incorporated into the soil, encouraging beneficial insects while also restoring valuable nutrients in your soil structure.

Extending Your Season

Once you have planted according to your Zone 7B planting schedule, use of a hoop house or cold frame can extend the life of your crop during the colder months. These two types of structures create a microclimate that provides several degrees of air and soil temperature insulation, as well as shelter from the wind. These characteristics help to extend your growing season into the late fall or early spring.

Cold frame (Pic | 4seasongreenhouse)

Cold frame construction is a common home or farm building project, although kits and commercial systems are available. A traditional plan makes use of old glass windows. A wooden frame is built one or two feet high, and the window is placed on top. The roof is often sloped towards the winter sun to capture more light, and to improve runoff of water, and can be hinged for easy access. To provide additional insulation, it is beneficial to build your cold frame against an existing structure, e.g. the side of your garage. (For more information, check out the Purdue University Cold Frame fact sheet.)

A hoop house uses clear plastic sheeting in place of glass. The plastic is stretched over a series of hoops made of heavy duty wire or pvc pipe, which can then be either secured to a wood frame at the base or simply weighed down with bricks or sandbags. An electric heating cable can be placed in the soil to provide additional heat.

Preparing for Next Spring

If you aren’t able to start planting right away you can start preparing a bed for next spring. Sheet mulching or “no till” gardening creates a ready-to-plant bed without the use of machines or backbreaking labor.

1. To start your “no till” garden bed, decide on the area you would like to plant. Think ahead about what you would like to plant next season (full sun for tomatoes, or cooler shaded areas for leafy greens).

2. Once you’ve chosen your area cut or trim the space, then lay clippings or other yard waste down over the area. Cover the area with newspaper at least ten pages thick, making sure to overlap the newspapers by at least six inches (weeds will grow wherever the newspapers do not adequately cover).

Sheet mulching. (Art | urbanworkbench.com)

3. After the newspapers, it is time to mulch. You can use whatever organic matter is readily available, e.g. grass clippings, non-animal food scraps, unfinished compost, leaves and yard waste. Pile the combination of mulch layers a foot or two high. This may seem excessive, but winter frost and rain will cause the mulch layer to settle over time, and shallower mulching won’t effectively smother sod or contribute to soil fertility.

4. Next, think about ways to keep the mulch from blowing away. You could top the bed with thickly matted straw or leaves, while avoiding woody material that won’t break down by springtime. (a thin layer of wood shavings, for example, works fine, while wood chips take too long to decompose)

5. Finally, your carbon to nitrogen ratio should be about 30:1, the same as in any typical compost pile or animal bedding. A 30:1 carbon to nitrogen ratio for compost is ideal for both the rate of decomposition that it generates and the quality, texture, and nutrient content of the finished compost. Great carbon sources for sheet mulching include dry leaves, straw, and newspaper. Nitrogen sources are any “green” or wet, fresh material, including non-animal food scraps, animal manure, and green grass clippings. A three-inch layer of dry leaves topped by an inch of foods scraps also provides a 30:1 ratio.

Gardening can be a year-round activity. There is plenty to do in the fall, whether it’s growing the fall veggies or prepping your soil for spring. The days might be getting cooler, but that doesn’t mean your work in the garden can’t be heating up.

If you are interested in gaining hands on experience, come join the gardening fun this Sunday, September 19th at 1:30 at the garden, which is located at 1112 Norview Ave in Norfolk. We will be planting our fall crops and planning our next activities. All ages and levels of gardening abilities are welcome.

Click here for more info about 5 Points Farm Market.