Here are some things to consider for the fall:
Plant shallots: I purchased and received my organic shallots bulbs from Grow Organic. I got one pound of Dutch Yellow and one pound of French Red shallots. This is the first year that I am starting them in the fall like I do my garlic. While there are a lot of sources for purchasing garlic, it was slim pickings for shallots bulbs in the fall.
Plant garlic: I just purchased my organic garlic bulbs from Enon Valley Garlic. Here are my picks for this year: Spanish Roja, Chesnok Red, Music, Italian Red and French Red. I like to purchase from Enon Valley because they are a local company for me. Also, Enon Valley sells garlic by the bulb, 1/2 lb and 1 lb and has some assortments.
Get the soil ready: I purchased Premium Soil Builder Mix from Grow Organic for my cover crop seeds. This is the first year that I am using a cover crop. I will let you know how it goes! Cover crops are great for building up your soil organically. I think I will have a separate post on this topic because there is too much to talk about.
Make improvements: Two years ago, we added a drip line system to the raised beds. Last year, Alan and I added hoop tunnels made out of pvc pipes to each bed. I leave the hoop tunnels in year round. I can use the hoops to drape netting, fabric and plastic to protect the seedlings and plants from birds, bad bugs, shade and cold weather. We are going to make two of the beds deeper this year so they will be 24 inches deep instead of 12 inches.
Take notes: I like to keep track of what I planted in each bed so I can rotate crops, what I liked and didn’t like this year and what I would like to do next spring. For instance, I grew beans on some of the hoop tunnels which provided too much shade for some of my plants like tomatoes and peppers. I would consider growing beans on the hoop tunnels for a bed of lettuce, spinach or other veggies that like shade.
