Before the first frost hits, potting up tender herbs like rosemary, parsley, and chives takes about twenty minutes and saves you from buying new plants next spring. This covers how to dig them up, take free cuttings, and actually keep them alive on a winter windowsill without overwatering them to death.
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 is the best time to actually figure out what’s going on with your soil before winter sets in. Here’s how to do it with a mason jar, vinegar, baking soda, and a cheap test strip — and what free or low-cost amendments to add once you know what you’re working with.
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.
Every fall your neighbors bag up leaves and drag them to the curb. That’s free soil amendment walking out the door. Here’s how to build a leaf mold bin from chicken wire or a spare tote, fill it this fall, and end up with crumbly, water-holding soil conditioner by next year.
September is the best time to build a hot compost pile using spent summer plants, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps. With the right layering and regular turning, you can have usable compost before spring planting begins.
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.
Damping-off collapses seedlings at the soil line and it feels like nothing you can do will stop it. The fix is actually cheap and simple: clean containers, a sterile-ish starting mix, bottom watering, and a $5 fan for airflow. No fungicide needed.
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.
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.
You don’t need a $30 soil blocker to make perfect seed-starting cubes. A shot glass and a wooden dowel will do the job, if you get the wet mix consistency right. Here’s the full technique, plus why air-pruned roots transplant with almost zero shock.
After digging 40 pounds of potatoes and having zero storage plan, I learned the hard way. Here’s how to store potatoes through winter for almost nothing: cure them, skip the washing, and find a cool dark corner.