The air is cooler and the leaves will soon begin to fall, but growing season is far from over. In fact, if you’ve ever had an inkling to produce your own veggies, now is the time to start.
That’s because growing autumn and winter crops is quite a bit easier than growing summer crops, according to Master Gardeners and husband-wife duo Mike and Stephanie Payne.
The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, an affiliate of University of Tennessee Knoxville, is an extremely helpful resource to Chattanooga gardeners. If you run into problems while attempting your first garden, call the master gardeners hotline at 423-855-6113 for help. Learn more at mghc.org.
“It’s a great way to start gardening and there’s less chance of failure,” says Stephanie. By planting in the fall season, gardeners face fewer bugs and don’t need to water their crops as often, she explains. And though the variety of vegetables may decrease in this cooler season, the gardens require less maintenance with fewer weeds to pull.
Grab a shovel: here are the Paynes’ tips for starting your own winter garden: