Gardeners 'To Do List': Nov

It gets colder and thus it is time to start planning for next year
This is the time to be picking the last of your harvest before snow hits. While racking up leaves is probably consuming your free time, now is the time to put your gardens to bed... If you have been freezing/canning/dehydrating then now is your time to shine. Time to make pies, start us the jars of jam, and heating up soup mixes.

I am preparing my garden beds for next year by:

• tilling garden beds
• fixing and setting up new garden beds
• emptying my compost bins to store leaves I am raking up
• mixing compost into the garden beds
• propagating my strawberry/raspberry plants to other areas
• trimming trees and shrubs (1/3 rule)
• storing my rain barrels
• cleaning gutters one last time.
• cleaning out the shed and checking the snow blower
• writing blogs to post next year :)

Time to harvest and eat:

• Kale
• Broccoli

Sow seeds into the soil:

• indoor herb garden.

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• Go to a winter farmers market
• Plan for next years crop
• Read a gardening book
• Start building hot boxes
• Start building potato boxes
• Sharpen your gardening tools
• What about adding a automated drip irrigation system?

Gardeners 'To Do List': Oct

You should be seeing frost soon. Time to prep your garden for winter.

Harvest what is left. Dehydrate what you can't eat right away. I always have extra mint I need to dry out. Start mulching leafs and packing away the rain barrels for winter. Time to plant your garlic for next years harvest. Extra bonus points if you keep a green house going through the winter, as now is your time for winter setup and planing seed starting.

Time to harvest and eat:

• Green Tomato
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Beats
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Celery

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Garlic

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• How about adding more mulch to your garden beds? You should be racking leaves right now.
• How about a hugelkultur garden bed?
• Water your plants with city water?

Gardeners 'To Do List': Sept

Lots of rain so far. While planting seeds has stopped, harvesting is going to be a full time job this week.

Finally all your hard work has paid off, but not what are you going to do with all this food? Might I suggest you read my post on "Storing Your Extra Food"  Personally I like to dehydrate because to the low energy needed and the long term storage potential.

Time to harvest and eat:

• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Sweet Potato
• Tomato
• Eggplants
• Pepper
• Winter Squash
• Summer Squash
• Potatos
• Cucumber
• Melons
• Corn
• Beans

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Done for season

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Done for season

Start seeds in doors:

•   Done for season

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
• How about a hugelkultur garden bed?
• What about adding a automated drip irrigation system?
• How about creating a small green house?

Gardeners 'To Do List': Aug

It is still hot. While you might not be harvesting this month, remember that tomato season is just around the corner. 

Still hoping for rain. In the mean time you should get organized for planting seeds and being ready to harvest tomatoes next month...unless you like fried green tomatoes.

Time to harvest and eat:

• Onions

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Cauliflower

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Lettuce
• Kale
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Beets 
• Carrots

Start seeds in doors:
     None this month




You still have extra time and want to do more.

• How about making plans for better garden water retention for next year?
• More mulch
• More shade
• Hugelkultur garden bed?
• Garden water swales.
• Water your plants with city water? How about removing the chlorine through overnight evaporation?

Gardeners 'To Do List': July

It is hot. Good time to relax by water your garden, and leaving digging for another month.

Hope you enjoyed the 4th! but get back work and check your plants if they need watering  :-)

Time to harvest and eat:

• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Cabbage

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Tomato
• Eggplants
• Peppers

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Lettuce

Start seeds in doors:

•  Cauliflower

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
• How about a hugelkultur garden bed?
• Water your plants with city water? How about removing the chlorine through overnight evaporation?
• What about adding a automated drip irrigation system?

Gardeners 'To Do List': June

June bugs aren't the only bugs that are bugging me...

Well, the mosquito are back. The weather maybe hot, but time to get planting and maybe do some eating.

On the plus side the longest day of the year (June Solstice) is on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Sunrise at 5:12am to sunset at 8:34pm, that is about 15 hours and 22 minutes of sunshine.

Time to harvest and eat:

• lettuce
• carrots
• beets
• spinach
• broccoli 

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Tomato
• Eggplants
• Peppers

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Potatoes
• Winter/Summer Squash
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Beans

Start seeds in doors:

•  Cabbage

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
• Have your turned you compost pile lately?
• What about adding a automated drip irrigation system?

Gardeners 'To Do List': May

April showers bring may flowers...

Well, we didn't have a month of rain. However non-soggy soil is a great time to add compost to the soil, transplant, and sow seeds into the garden.

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Peppers

Sow seeds into the soil:

• lettuce
• Spinach

Start seeds in doors:

• Brussels Sprouts
• Melons

What's that... you still have extra time and want to do more.

Well how about installing rain barrels?
How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
Or starting a compost pile?