Fall Garden Planning

If you are reading this post when I posted it, you may be wondering why I am talking about fall gardening in the middle of summer. Well, it's because this is the best time to plan for your fall garden. Especially if you want to start any of your plants from seed. 

Having a plan for your garden, and for most things in life, provides a road map for what is needed. It also helps when you create your shopping list for your garden.

Here in Fayetteville NC fall is our second Warm season. Warm season basically means that the average temperatures are between 65 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with no chance of frost. Which is one reason why I love gardening here. We can garden all year long!

Planning 

One of the first steps in planning your garden is knowing how much space you have to use. Even if you have an existing garden, you may be succession planting and are planting around existing plants.

Find the right spot

If you are a new gardener, find the sunniest spot and measure out what size you want you garden to be. If you need help with that, you can book a virtual consult or coaching session to get that information.

What do you want to grow

The next thing to do is decided what you want to grow. Believe me, sometimes this is easier said than done. The excitement of starting this garden can get in the way of what can really happen. Me and some other garden friends want to plant so many things, but our garden cannot hold all those options.

My solution is to use the 31 Eden recipe grow list. Basically, it helps you break down what you eat most often, and helps you decide what you want to grow. You can download that list here.

Now all you have to do is decide what can fit into the designated garden spot.

Plant Families

In Fayetteville, our average high in the fall is exactly between 65-83 degrees Fahrenheit, with no chance of frost. This information tells me what plants I can grow. Below are some plants, by family, that can grow during our fall season:

Brassica Family

Kale, collards, broccoli

Nightshade Family

Tomatoes, peppers

Cucurbit Family

Cucumbers

Aster Family

Lettuces, sunflower

Bean Family

Bush beans, fava beans

Goosefoot Family

Beets, chard, spinach

Parsley Family

Mint, thyme, oregano

Carrot Family

Carrots, dill

After you decided what to grow you can add it to your plan. Make sure you keep track of everything you are planting. To do that, we like to use our 3E Garden Journal. It is an easy way to track what we’ve plant, when to fertilize, and when we can expect a harvest.

So, get planning! You can do it!

But if you need help, let us know.

Happy growing!