Gardening tips heading into the fall season

Although it may not feel like fall here along the Coast, Thursday marks the first day of fall which is the second gardening season.

Fall is a great time to start planting vegetables such as cauliflower, kale, collards, broccoli, Swiss chard, and cabbage.

Things like broccoli and Swiss chard do great in the fall and winter months because they can handle a light frost.

The great thing about living on the Coast is there is a long growing season so things like tomatoes, peppers, and squash grow well in the spring and fall.

Hancock County Agriculture 4H Agent Dr. Christian Stephenson offered some tips to keeping your plants thriving during the cooler months. “Taking care of your soil. Having good soil for your gardens is going to be really important. You can make sure that you have all of the fertilization that your plants need. One of the best ways to do that is to do a soil test, which is something you can do through the Mississippi State University Extension Office, through your local county extension office. You do want to do one of the things I think is most important to be successful as a gardener, it’s just go and spend time in your garden.”

For more information about gardening, visit the MSU extension website at extension.msstate.edu or contact the Hancock County extension office at 228-467-5456.