| I live in the South Bay Area of So. California. This is my first time planting a Fall vegetable garden and I would like to know what do I need to do for daily, weekly and monthly maintenance in order to have a plentiful harvest? |
| The best parts about growing vegetables in the fall is that you'll have fewer insect and disease problems to contend with, and usually fewer weeds. I'd vote for less maintenance any day! Your veggies will still need to be watered on a regular basis and should be fed once or twice during the growing season. As a rule, vegetable gardens need about an inch of water per week. Keep track of your rainfall and if it is less than an inch per week you can supplement by watering with a sprinkler or hose. You can feed by side-dressing with compost or by applying a slow release fertilizer around each of your plants. Choose a 5-10-10 general purpose fertilizer or one marked especially formulated for vegetable gardens and use in amounts as recommended on the fertilizer label. I like to monitor my plants on a daily basis by just observing their growth, pulling any weeds that sprout and picking off any insect pests or leaves that look off color or otherwise diseased. If you do this every day or two, you can keep your garden neat and clean and stop any problems before they get out of hand. Aside from the above, fall gardens won't require much care at all. Hope you have a bountiful harvest! |
