Garden Look Nasty Post-Summer? Yep, Time to Refresh!

August has a tendency to get nasty with our landscapes. Come September when things start to cool down and we venture back out in to our gardens, it can look less than shiny. So, let's all get out there and start ripping stuff out, ok? It may still be a tad warm, but it is time to start getting cool season vegetable crops into the garden. You should start finding transplants of cole crops like broccoli, cabbage, kale and more at the garden centers now. You can also direct seed lettuce and Fava beans into your garden beds.

But before you get all planting-crazed, let's take a step back and make sure we're boosting the soil before we plant for fall. Now's the time to refresh your beds with organic compost, some humus and composted manures in the vegetable garden. Don't forget that even though you amend the soil, you still need to add in a fertilizer before you plant, especially for veggies. Organic matter has to be broken down my microbes first before nutrients are available to your plants, so don't expect the compost to "fertilize" your new plants right away.