For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
easiest crop to grow over winter (no greenhouse needed)
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You are planting garlic this season, right? This set-it-and-forget-it crop is one of my favorite things to grow in the garden because it's super easy to get started, very low-maintenance, free of pests, and doesn't need any winter protection other than a layer of mulch. I know some people tend to get burnt out this time of year and can't even think of planting one more thing in the ground, but trust me that you want to add garlic to your fall checklist. As long as the ground isn't frozen solid where you are, you can plant garlic. I personally aim for late October to early November, because it's better to plant a little too late than too early (and I explain why in this post.) This cold-hardy crop can survive temps down to zone ZERO (!) but the trick is planting the right type of garlic for your climate. So today, I have two posts that'll help you master garlic: First, here's my ultimate guide to growing garlic. This is everything you need to know about timing, soil prep, planting, mulching, and watering to get the best and biggest harvest possible next summer. Even if you've been growing garlic for years, I bet you might learn a new tidbit or two from this post! Second, if you want to double-check whether you've got the right garlic to begin with, check out my detailed guide on how to choose the best varieties of garlic for your garden. You can also use this guide when buying seed garlic this month. Even though one of the reasons I love growing garlic is that there's no need to buy seed garlic if you procrastinated (you can just pull cloves from garlic you already have), some varieties may be better suited for your growing region, storage needs, and personal preferences. And honestly, I just love trying at least one new variety each year because of how many there are! (Hundreds of them, if you can believe it.) So if you plant just one thing this fall, make it garlic. P.S. Learn a few tips and tricks for planting garlic and how to choose the best garlic for your garden. P.P.S. Do you know the best ways to store all your fruits and vegetables so they last as long as they should? My Fruit & Vegetable Storage Guide includes printable charts and little-known tips for extending the shelf life of all your produce (plus a trick for reviving wilted greens!). Download it here. |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."