(ARA) - Kids are heading back to school, tomato harvests have begun to dwindle and the leaves are starting to change color once again. Another hot summer is drawing to a close. This does not have to mean though, that thriving gardens must to fade into blissful memories. Even as temperatures start to drop, cold-weather crops can extend the harvest well into the fall months.
A delicious fresh spinach salad would blend beautifully with a hearty squash or pumpkin soup after a cool fall day spent raking leaves or hiking through the woods. Plant crops to use in creative recipes, and feed your family from the garden all autumn long.
* Plants with shorter and cooler growing seasons thrive in the fall months. Consider setting aside a weekend for the entire family to get outside and plant some beans, peas and salad greens like lettuce, kale and spinach. Check out the region's average date for a hard frost, and calculate back the weeks needed to successfully grow a full late-season crop.
* Rotate plant location. For example, if peas were planted in the spring in one section of the garden, don't plant them in the same location for the fall growing season. Instead, consider using that area of the garden for spinach this time around. Rotating crops like this will help the garden's soil to replace and retain valuable nutrients naturally.
* Enhance the growth of plants with Miracle-Gro expand 'n GRO soil that contains plant food, allowing plants to thrive in both containers and gardens. When combined with water, soil permanently expands up to three times its original size to hold up to 50 percent more water than basic potting soils. And as a soil amendment, expand 'n GRO radically improves native soil conditions, whether sand or clay. For a great organic option, try using Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix or Garden Soil to help keep plants strong and healthy all throughout the growing season.
* The garden needs food to thrive. Feed edibles, whether in an in-ground garden or in container pots, with Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed Tomato, Fruits & Vegetables Plant Food Plus Calcium. One application will feed plants for up to three months - which is plenty of time for the fall garden to produce a harvest of delicious vegetables - and contains calcium to help plants grow better quality, longer-lasting fruits and vegetables.
* Keep an eye on plants as they grow, being certain to water daily and protect from the dangers of a hard frost. Monitor weather reports. If a hard frost is predicted in the area earlier than expected, cover the crops with blankets or plastic for the night, and uncover in the morning, once the threat of freezing has passed.
* Harvest plants as they reach maturity. Sometimes a chilly night with a slight frost can enhance the flavor if vegetables are picked during or immediately after the temperature drops.
* Enjoy the bountiful harvest. Miracle-Gro and America's Test Kitchen have recipes at www.miracle-gro.com/GroYourOwn to explore. Try them all using your own freshly grown produce and see which recipes the family likes best.
* Assign a family member to record the entire growing season through the winter frost, keeping track of what was planted, the date it was planted, the flavor of the vegetables harvested and even which recipes the family made and enjoyed with the produce. Use this information next year to better plan the fall garden and increase the amount of produce harvested.
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