In the previous post, I explained the importance of understanding how decreasing daylight hours slows plant growth as winter approaches. In order to have a productive fall and winter garden, it’s critical to plan accordingly so that plantings for the cooler seasons reach maturity or near-maturity before the onset of Persephone Period. Here in Atlanta, Persephone Period starts in early Dec. Therefore, I target my plantings to be near or ready for harvest by the end of Nov. This is accomplished by planting early enough in late summer so that the plants have ample time for growth. However, starting cold season crops early can only yield success if the soil in the garden is able to sustain the necessary growth rate. This is why it’s important to ensure that your garden soil is healthy and fertile before making the transition from warm to cold season gardening. Due to the demands of spring and summer gardening, I typically do not have any homemade compost left by the time fall nears. In order to prepare my garden soil for fall and winter plantings, I turn to @soil3official, a local supplier of high quality, organic, humus compost. I’ve been using Soil3’s Veggie Mix for the past couple of years and it has delivered great results in all seasons. This past fall season was no exception. After restocking my raised beds with Soil3’s Veggie Mix, I planted my first batch of cool season crops in mid Sep. I followed a couple of weeks later with another succession for harvests later in the season. Both plantings immediately exploded in growth. By the time first frost was forecasted in late Nov, the first planting was ready for harvest. In just two short months, the transplants produced massive heads of broccoli and cauliflower. In fact, the large heads I harvested this past season set new records for my garden! If you’re looking for quality soil for your garden, you can find link to Soil3 in bio!
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