Category: Fall Gardening

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Getting your Garden Ready for Winter

Winter in Wisconsin - St. Clare Heirloom Seeds
Getting your Garden Ready for Winter - St. Clare Heirloom Seeds
When the dreary days of Winter start to get to you, don’t forget you can start planning for next year to help look forward to warmer weather, fresh air, and the joys of gardening. – St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

Now is the time when heirloom gardeners start getting their vegetable gardens ready for Winter. This is not just the end of this season, it is a time to lay the ground work for a good start to next year’s successful heirloom garden! New gardeners among us will wonder what they need to do to finish things off when their harvest is complete for the season.

Once you have picked all the heirloom produce that’s left in your garden, get things wound down for the year by cleaning up the beds. Taking time in the Fall to clean up a bit, makes getting the garden ready in the Spring a whole lot easier, and kicks things off to a good start next year. Continue reading Getting your Garden Ready for Winter

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Organic Gardening Part 2: Learn Your Insects

Organic Gardening Part 2: Learn Your Insects - St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

Learn your insects: Get rid of the bad, not the beneficials.

Learn your insects! Organic gardening doesn’t mean you have to Learn your insect - Assassin bug - St. Clare Heirloom Seedsshare your harvest with the bugs, but you will probably have less than pristine looking plants and produce. Since  in organic gardening you are trying to garden in cooperation with nature, sometimes you have to accept the occasional pest in the garden, not taking the typical line of attack that has been popular in recent generations of grabbing the nearest pesticide. Your first line of defense should be vigilance. Inspect your plants regularly for signs of a problem and take organic methods of action quickly. Keep in mind, though, not every insect is a foe and that action doesn’t necessarily mean pesticide. Just picking bugs and eggs off plants and putting them in a bucket of soapy water is frequently a first step for organic gardeners. Learn which are the beneficial insects and keep them around, they will help do your work for you, getting rid of pests.

Continue reading Organic Gardening Part 2: Learn Your Insects

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September Garden Tips

September Garden Tips - St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

Funny thing, just last week we were talking about August being one of the hottest months, the need to water, etc. and then God made sure we remembered who’s in charge and sent along a cold snap here in Wisconsin. So, now we are thinking about when we need to cover tender plants to protect them from frost, and all those things we have to do at the end of the season. Crazy how weather can turn on a dime and change up what we are focused on so quickly!

September is one of the busiest months in the garden, lots of harvest happening, some crops coming to an end, preparing to bed down the areas of the garden that are finished for the year in Northern states, while finally getting back out in the garden in the hot Southern states. Depending upon your zone in the US there are specific tasks that you’ll want to focus on this coming month.  Read on for Zone specific tips….
Continue reading September Garden Tips

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August Garden Tips

August is one of the best months in the garden! Many of the best fruits of your labor are finally hitting the table. But, don’t let the joy of harvest make you lax in the work department. 🙂 Big things to remember are watering and weeding. August, in many places, is the hottest month of the garden season, therefore the plants need that extra water. Even and consistent watering is very important to your plants. And, weeding, though it’s a pain, is important as the weeds rob your fruits and veggies of that precious water they so need to thrive in the hot months.  Continue reading August Garden Tips

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Heirloom Fall Vegetable Garden

Lincoln Peas in your fall vegetable gardenAs promised we’re back again to discuss planting a heirloom fall vegetable  garden. What vegetables or fruits can I plant for a Fall vegetable garden? When to plant, I don’t want to plant them too late, I’m really not sure how to do this? These are the big questions on the mind of those who want to try their hand at planting a heirloom fall vegetable garden. You may have always hesitated thinking that Fall crops of veggies were for the experts to grow, “I don’t know how to do that”, but really it’s easy, and no harder than planting in Spring. We’ll give you some helpful starting tips, and this year you could have more of your favorite heirloom vegetables right up until the Fall frosts! Continue reading Heirloom Fall Vegetable Garden