What to do to put your garden to bed for the winter.

Breaking down the definition of frost tolerance and discussing which plants will and won't survive when temps go below freezing.

Warm fall days can trick cool-season crops like lettuce and spinach into bolting — shooting up flowers instead of giving you tender leaves. The fix? Choose bolt-resistant varieties, give them afternoon shade, keep the soil consistently moist, and harvest often. A little attention now will stretch your salad season into late fall.

Should you clear out all your summer crops to make way for the fall garden? Not necessarily. In Middle Tennessee, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants often keep producing well into September. By interplanting thoughtfully, you’ll enjoy summer harvests right alongside fall greens and root veggies — creating a smooth, abundant transition from one season to the next.

The why and when on removing fall leaves from your veggie beds.

Some reasons your fall garden may be slow to grow, and solutions to keep it thriving.