Putting Strawberries to Bed for Winter
Strawberries need a little fall prep to survive a Pacific Northwest winter without losing crowns to freeze-thaw heaving. Here’s what to do in September before the real cold hits, and it won’t cost you much.
-
-
Green Tomatoes End of Season: Ripen or Cook?
Every September I end up with a bucket of green tomatoes and the same decision to make. Here’s which ones will actually ripen indoors, when to strip the plants before cold rain hits, and what to do with the rest.
-
Overwintering Onion Sets for a Bigger Summer Harvest
Planting overwintering onion sets in early fall gives you a head start that spring planting can’t match. Here’s how to space them, mulch them through a wet winter, and end up with genuinely big bulbs by summer.
-
Fall Raspberry Prep Without Spending Much
September is the window for fall raspberry prep in the Pacific Northwest, and it closes fast. A little cane cleanup, some free mulch, and smart watering now means a much better harvest next summer.
-
Garlic Planting Prep for the PNW: September Setup
Want real garlic bulbs instead of marble-sized disappointments? Fall planting is the whole game, and prep starts now. Here’s how to pick the right variety, source cheap seed garlic locally, and get your bed ready before October.
-
Cover Crops for PNW Winter: Sow Now, Thank Yourself in Spring
Bare soil over a Pacific Northwest winter is basically a gift to the weeds. Here’s how to plant a cheap cover crop in late August or early September and spend six months improving your soil for free.
-
Sow Spinach Late August for a Spring Harvest
Sowing spinach in late August sounds like a weird idea until April when you’re harvesting greens and your neighbors are still waiting on their seeds. Here’s how to time it right, pick the best overwintering varieties, and get a jump on spring with almost no effort.
-
How to Harvest Potatoes (and What to Do With Every Spud)
Your potato tops are dying back and you’re not sure if that’s bad news or good news. It’s good news. Here’s how to harvest, cure, and sort your spuds the cheap and practical way, with PNW timing so you beat the fall rains.
-
Dormant Fig Tree Pruning and Free Cuttings
Dormant fig tree pruning isn’t complicated, but the timing matters more than most people think. Here’s how to manage size in a small yard, protect both the breba and main crop, and get free new trees from the branches you cut off.
-
Drying Herbs for Winter: 3 Cheap Methods Compared
August in the Pacific Northwest means your herb bed is overgrown and the rains are coming. Here’s how to dry herbs for winter using three cheap methods: bundle hanging, paper bags, and the oven, depending on which herb you’re dealing with.
-
Save Tomato Seeds Free With the Ferment Method
Those heirloom tomatoes you grew this summer can fund next year’s garden for free. The fermentation method takes three days, almost zero supplies, and produces seeds that actually germinate better than store-bought. Here’s why it works and exactly how to do it.
-
August Seed Starting in the PNW: Don’t Skip Fall
August isn’t just harvest season in the PNW. It’s the second seed-starting season most people skip entirely. Here’s what to sow now for fresh greens all fall and into winter, including why your cold-weather kale will taste way better than the stuff you grew in June.
