Late-September Garden To-Do List

Fall is officially here—but the garden isn’t slowing down just yet! This is the time to pay attention to the temps, the rain fall, and the length of our shortening fall days. Whether you’re nurturing baby kale or coaxing the last tomatoes to ripen, there’s still plenty of activity in your raised beds tright now. Here’s what we’re doing in our gardens (and what we’re coaching clients through across Middle Tennessee):

Pruning/Removing:

You may have already removed a lot of summer produce from your garden, but it rained a lot this week, so you amy have another busy weekend of cutting back basil and squash. Also, if you’re like me and accidentally spilled bloodmeal in the same general area of growing summer plants, you may have too many pepper and eggplant leaves, so be careful that they don’t shade growing fall plants too much.

Pro tip: It’s best not to prune when plants are wet, as this is when fungi spreads more easily. Wait for a dry sunny day to grab your shears.

Plant

If you’ve got a little space, you still have time to plant radishes, mustards, baby lettuces, and spinach. These crops don’t mind the shorter days ahead, especially if they’re direct seeded now. Choose fast-growing varieties and sow generously—then thin for baby greens in a couple of weeks.

We’re also tucking in onion starts, edible flowers like calendula and borage, and some last-minute dill or cilantro before frost.Feed

We’ve asked a lot of the soil this year, and if you’re not getting a lot of production, try adding a balanced fertilizer like Garden Tone. If you want more greens, try adding Nitrogen heavy bloodmeal. If you’re happy with the growth of your plants, then leave them be and let them get accustomed to their new homes. You can always just feed them a simple multivitamin in the form of fresh compost to give them a boost

We like to keep feeding light but consistent this time of year—remember, plants are growing slower now, so don’t overdo it.

Pest Watch

Cabbage worms, harlequin bugs, and aphids haven’t gotten the memo that it’s fall. Keep checking the undersides of leaves (especially brassicas like kale and collards), and squish or spray as needed. A little Bt can go a long way for caterpillar control—just don’t forget to reapply after rain.

Slugs and pill bugs may also show up in wet weather. Trap them with boards or terra cotta saucers, or sprinkle diatomaceous earth around seedlings to protect them.

Harvest

Tomatoes, okra, peppers, and eggplant are still producing in many gardens. Even if they’re winding down, be sure to harvest often and remove any fruits with blemishes to keep pests from moving in.

We’re also starting to enjoy arugula, baby mustard greens, and the very first salad turnips in a few gardens—what a treat!

💡 Extra Tip: Timing is Everything

From here on out, the days are getting shorter—so it’s all about leafy greens, roots, and herbs. Fruiting crops like peas may not make it unless they’re already established. Focus your energy on what will actually mature before the Persephone period (aka the ten darkest weeks of the year). Think quality over quantity and protect what’s growing!