LATE SUMMER HARVESTING & WHY YOU SHOULD PLANT IN AUTUMN

With the arrival of March and Autumn, now’s the time to harvest all that gorgeous summer fruit and make the most of your ideal planting time. Read on to discover why Autumn is a perfect time to plant and how to

What to harvest?

In late summer, there are still plenty of fruit and vegetables to harvest. This can include tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, melons, garlic, potatoes, eggplant, capsicum, onion, leeks and cabbages, among others.

You want to harvest your fruit and vegetables as soon as the crop matures and the produce is of a good size for eating and enjoying! To find out more about how to know when each crop is ready for harvest, read our post here. By picking and harvesting your crop, you allow it to continue producing for the duration of summer, although at this stage you’ll be harvesting the last of your summer fruit and veg in preparation for Autumn planting.

What to do with your late summer harvest?

There are endless recipes and uses for your delicious late summer harvest. If you have an excess of tomatoes, we love using them up in a fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil salad. For all that extra basil, check out a recipe for Basil Pesto here and a Nectarine and Basil Summer Cocktail here. We’d love to know what you’re cooking up with your summer harvest! Share it with us on Instagram @gardenofedennursery

Why plant in Autumn?

Autumn is an ideal time to plant for lots of reasons. As it follows summer, the soil is still warm which makes it a perfect foundation for your seeds and plants, allowing roots to grow deep until winter sets in. While the soil remains warm, the air temperature cools off which makes it easier on plants and also on you! By planting in Autumn, you also give your new garden time to grow and set itself up before summer hits again.

Keep an eye out for our blog post with an Autumn planting guide coming soon.