With tomatoes still ripening on the vine next month and a frost on the near horizon, consider pulling the whole plant up and bringing it inside. Find a warm place to hang them up, and the tomatoes will finish
ripening. Increasing organic material content greatly increases sol ability to retain water. A goal of increasing organic content to 5% will quadruple the soil’s ability to store water. Healthy soil provides
healthy plants which have a higher ability to resist pests and disease. This means a lowered need for harmful pesticides.
Hopefully your vegetable garden has LOTS of earthworms in it. Earthworms love natural and organic fertilizers and soil amendments a LOT more than synthetic items.
Next spring, when transplanting tomatoes, cover the stem with soil all the way up to the first set of leaves. You can do this by digging a deeper hole or by laying the plant horizontally and covering. The plant will grow vertically, and any part of the stem covered by soil will grow roots, making a stronger, healthier plant.
Over watering is worse than under watering. It is easier to revive a dry plant than try to dry out drowned roots.
Next month, we’ll get our first frost. Interestingly some vegetables do quite well after that first frost. These include Brussel sprouts, kale, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage.
For the best peas next spring, start them indoors. You’ll get a higher germination rate than if direct sown in the garden, and the seedlings will be healthier and better able to fight off pests and disease. If
you want a really good slicing cucumber next spring but one that is smaller, grow a straight 8 cucumber plant and simply pick the fruit at 5-6”.
Get cover crops or shredded leaves over your bare garden soil this winter.
