Prepare Your Garden for Fall Growth 🍁

With this crazy weather we have been having, our lows are just starting to go below the 70's here in North Florida, but it has been forecasted to get down in the 50's by the end of the week. I know some of you further North have been getting lows dipping down into the 50’s already.

Lows down in the 50's and 60's means that you can start getting those lettuces, greens and winter herbs planted now! Yippee!

Now that we are in Fall, make sure you keep an eye on your weather each week. As you see the lows get lower, the highs usually get lower, as well.

This is particularly important for those of you who are further South where the weather is still a bit warmer. Below 70 is a dive in temperature that cold weather plants like. When you start seeing it drop down below 70, which I’m seeing now in North Florida, that means it’s cooling and it’s time to get those cold weather herbs sown.

The days may still be getting up in the 80's from time to time, but the cooler nights will give the plants a reprieve from the heat, unlike the summer.

For those of you further South, consider putting your cool-weather herbs and greens in a bit of shade.

Remember sun helps flowering, so when flowers, fruits or vegetables aren't your goal (as when you want ample foliage from your herbs, greens and lettuces) the plants can be happy with shade to help keep them on the cooler side.

If you are further South, like zone 9 and 10, you can also look for herbs, greens and vegetable varieties that tolerate heat better.

Goldenrod blooming is also a sign of the Fall and where I live, we are just seeing it start to bloom now, a little later in the season than usual because of the hotter weather.

Just some fun facts about goldenrod, did you know that it’s a prolific nectar and pollen producer, supporting bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and beetles? Eleven species of native bees are specialists in goldenrod and seek this specifically for their diet. It is also the host plant for several butterfly and moth larvae.

Goldenrod is often blamed for seasonal allergies, however, its pollen grains are large, sticky, and dense, so they are too heavy to be carried by wind, therefore it doesn’t affect your allergies, which is probably more likely to be triggered by ragweed pollen.

Goldenrod actually produces high-quality pollen, rich in protein, fats, and minerals, and is critical for migratory insects like the monarch butterfly.

Cool, huh?

But this Herb Talk isn’t about goldenrod, it’s actually about trimming back your herbs now that the weather is cooling off. You may have a bunch of basil still from the summer, but they won’t last long once the weather gets cooler. In fact 45⁰F is its survival point. You will know if it gets this cold at night because you will start seeing leaves turning black (if you live in zone 7, you need to start trimming them now).

Most basil can tolerate a good trimming. Through the summer I tend to trim the tops, which, like most plants, causes the plant to bush out nicely. Trimming herbs before the flowers actually bloom is a good time to get the foliage when the oils are usually at their peak. When I have more than one plant I let at least one plant bloom. The flowers are edible and look really pretty in dishes (and cocktails!) and attract beneficial insects and pollinators.

So, if you can let one plant flower, you should.

Cucumber Gin Cocktail with Rosemary and Coriander Flower

If you only have one plant, flowering will cause it to put most of its energy into reproduction (even sterile plants will try), so regular trimming to keep flowers from blooming is recommended. If you have not been trimming your plants they just might look scraggily. This means that the plant will not have a lot of foliage and what foliage it does have will be on top (think Dr. Seuss! 😂).

This causes the plant to be weaker, so a severe trimming might not make it happy, but I’m afraid at this point you don’t have much of an option, just trim it down, leaving at least three nodes on it where new growth can sprout and fertilize it.

Remember, now is a good time to sew your seeds so the roots of your plants have time to get nice and strong before the cold weather hits.

Plan on a good eight weeks before it freezes in your area, so take this into consideration depending on where you live.

I've been lucky having minimal damage (mostly downed trees) with the storms, but it still takes considerable time to clear everything, so I may not get another Herb Talk out to you for a couple of weeks. If you don't see one in your inbox next week, don't fear, I will be back the week after!

In case you're interested, here's the reference for the goldenrod info:

https://extension.psu.edu/goldenrod-not-just-another-pretty-face