Planning for Pumpkin Season

Fall is here which means many of us are in the midst of planting autumn vegetables, or are quite possibly even harvesting a few rounds of dark leafy autumn greens that were planted early. Kale, chard + spinach thrive in the cooler months of the fall and they can be planted as early as August in some areas. Depending on how far south you live here in the US, you may still be reaping a harvest from a late summer garden. Our family had an okra patch that kept producing well into late October (in Virginia) and we eventually had to cut back our plants since we could no longer keep up with harvesting! Every season is not always so bountiful, but praise God when we get to reap an abundance of veggies from high yielding producers! Our neighbors surely received their fair share of okra in that season.

Each fall, October sneaks up and leaves me wishing I had planted pumpkins back in the blazing heat of midsummer. Reflecting on my “what ifs” and missed opportunities, I find myself suddenly planning a year in advance for the things I’ll do differently. But surely enough, the next summer rolls around again I’ve lost remembrance of the promises I had made to my future self. If it weren’t for lack of organization, I’d have a 3-season food forest that offers a bounty of harvest each week! Time seems to teach me the same lesson again and again, which is this: PLAN. Plan, plan, plan! And plan months in advance. Do the research, order the materials, and prepare well ahead of when you’d naturally think to begin planning. This garden planner is a perfect place to write down all your garden plans and take field notes. Categorize your seed varieties, keep track of watering and fertilizer ratios, and make note of any pests you run into in the garden. If I’ve learned one thing after all these years spent in gardens, it’s that a good written garden journal builds a wealth of archived knowledge that you’ll be thankful to look back on!