Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1546636
Here in Southern California, fall is one of the best times of the year to garden. As temperatures begin to cool and the days grow shorter, plants experience less stress, soil remain warm from the summer sun, and many vegetables thrive in our mild climate. For gardeners in Terramor, it is the beginning of another productive season. Now is the perfect time to remove tired plants, refresh your garden beds with compost, and prepare for a new season of planting. Adding a few inches of organic compost improves soil structure, encourages beneficial microbes, and gives cool-season vegetables a healthy start. Fall is the ideal season to plant broccoli, caulif lower, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets, peas, radishes, onions, garlic, and a variety of fresh herbs. These crops prefer cooler weather and often develop sweeter, richer f lavors than they do in spring. As temperatures moderate, remember to adjust your irrigation. Plants require less water than they did during the heat of summer, so gradually reduce watering while continuing to water deeply. Apply a layer of mulch around your vegetables to help conserve moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Fall is also the harvest season. Continue picking tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and any remaining summer vegetables regularly. Frequent harvesting encourages many crops to keep producing until cooler nights finally slow them down. If you've grown pumpkins or winter squash, harvest them once the rinds have hardened, then allow them to cure in a warm, dry location for longer storage. This is also one of the best times to plant trees, shrubs, and many California-friendly landscape plants. The warm soil encourages root growth while cooler air temperatures reduce transplant stress, giving plants several months to establish before next summer's heat arrives. Most importantly, enjoy the season. Our moderate climate here allows us to grow food nearly year-round. Whether you're tending a few containers on your patio or cultivating a larger backyard vegetable garden, every seed planted today is an investment in fresh meals, beautiful landscapes, and time well spent outdoors. Happy fall gardening from all of us at Culinary Farmhouse! Submitted by Farmer Adam Armit, Culinary Farmhouse TERRAMOR BEYOND THE GATES | FALL 2026 13 Fall Gardening in Terramor Wher Cmuniy Blms