SHORT DAYS, LONG NIGHTS

Depending on your location, as the days shorten and the nights lengthen, your edible garden will go through some changes.

Soil temperatures drop, insect activity levels change, weeds aren’t as prevalent and vegetables and herbs that were powering along may finish or go dormant, making way for a range of other choices that prefer the cooler weather.

These changes may suit you to a tee or they may not. Let’s take a look at how soil and air temperatures affect plant growth and production; how to possibly lengthen your growing season and understand what grows when and where; and how to combat the cooler weather and some of the climatic obstacles that may occur during wintertime.

SOIL AND AIR TEMPERATURES

Understanding how various vegetable, herb and fruit-tree species are affected by the seasons can make for successful gardening with great harvests far more easily achieved. Growing the wrong crop at the wrong time of year will lead to poor growth, lack of fruit production and weak plants that are easily attacked by pests and diseases.

So knowing what