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Raleigh Fall Vegetable Garden
Hey friends! While it’s blazing hot outside, it is time to be planning and planting your fall garden. We are in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b and have a relatively long growing season: April 9 through October 27. These dates are our average last and first frost dates, meaning half the time the first frost of Fall will start up to two weeks before October 27, and half the time it will start up to two weeks after October 27. This may also vary depending by where in the county you are located. Using the average date of October 27 and Clyde’s Garden Planner, I’m going to share week by…
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Before the Last Frost (2 Weeks)
We have only two more weeks before the statistical last frost date! In previous years I had put out tomato plants by this time and was desperately attempting to protect them from frost by either covering them or digging them back up. I didn’t make that mistake this year, thankfully as we are in a spell of night temps below freezing. There was ice in the bird fountain this morning. Instead of putting out spring and summer veggies, I’ve tried to fill open spots in the seed trays where veggies didn’t germinate as well as re-potting the tomatillos and watermelon sprouts. Garden Edits I’ve also been busy moving trees and…
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Before the Last Frost (3 weeks)
We finally got our spring weather back after a cold week, and I went overboard digging in the yard. I’ve found that in our fenced vegetable garden, there just isn’t enough room to grow melons. I’ve noticed that the neighbors who successfully have grown them have long vines that trail out. For several summers, my vines have not grown long and the leaves have been dwarfed. I’m hoping this new sunny patch will do well. I went ahead and planted a row of purple and red potatoes from Trader Joe’s that were growing soft and starting to grow leaves on my counter top, and I will come back with pumpkin…
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Before the Last Frost (4 weeks)
There are 4 weeks left before our statistical last frost here in Raleigh, NC, which is zone 7b. I have trays of tomato and pepper sprouts that could use some liquid fertilizer. In another week they may need larger pots. Looking ahead at the weather forecast, there are still plenty of chilly nights so I’m not risking transplanting sprouts outside yet. It feels like winter has returned in Raleigh, so I was lucky to have that warm week to get some dormant perennials in the ground when I did. After last week’s perennial planting, my arms are covered in poison ivy. Originally I thought I had been scratched up by…
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Before the Last Frost (5 Weeks)
We are now five weeks ahead of the statistical last killing frost of the season, and looking ahead on my weather app, we aren’t out of the woods on cold evenings. Last week I shared about the importance of supporting pollinators. One way I do this is to plant flowering perennials. This week I’m writing about finding perennials on a budget. Garden Steals If you are a seasoned gardener, you probably already know which nurseries have the best discount tables and which one you visit more for inspiration rather than for filling out your garden beds with perennials. Sometimes there are really great finds! I once bought a $110 topiary…
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Before the Last Frost (6 Weeks)
There are now six weeks until the statistical last frost of the season, but looking at the weather this week, you’d think we were solidly into spring. This week we remember our pollinators. In our yard, there is a patch of clover that the bees love. Earlier this week I just seeded more dutch clover, and back in the fall I planted red clover in the vegetable beds. I’m considering letting those go to flowers rather than turning over the soil for spring planting. I also just broadcast wildflower and poppy seeds. Bees are essential to pollinating the vegetable garden. The best way to attract them is to have a…
