Get dressed – with compost. Remember – we don’t dig compost into the soil anymore, we simply apply a thick top layer and allow the earthworms and microbes do the rest of the work. Now is a perfect time of year to apply a generous layer of compost if you have a batch ripe in the composter. Even if it’s only “almost-ripe”, you are allowing it the winter to finish on the soil surface while you backfill the composter with fresh fallen leaves and Thanksgiving kitchen scraps.
Harvest your pumpkins and squash. By now your pumpkins and squash will have given you all they’ve got, so pick them before this wet weather brings about rot.
Setup a heat tunnel to keep the greens coming, if you still have kale, lettuce, chard etc. they will keep giving well into late November if given a cozy place under a poly tunnel. Doesn’t need to be fancy.
Save your seeds! With the seed shortage of the last two spring planting seasons, it is a good time to think about getting into seed saving. Beans and peas that are still in the garden can be left to dry down and harden in the pod – simply pick out those that are biggest and healthiest.
Tomatoes, squash, pumpkins and melons can be saved provided they are not hybridized varieties and you did not grow more than one variety in the same bed this year as cross-pollinating can lead to unpredictable results. Simply scoop them out and spread them in a well-ventilated space to dry down. Keep an eye out on local gardening Facebook pages and newsletters for seedy Saturdays come early spring, where you will have the opportunity to sell or trade with other local seed collectors.