Every vegetable gardener always plans on an improved vegetable garden next year. Dreams of improved garden vegetable production dance through our heads, we want more vine ripe tomatoes, bigger cabbage heads and longer production time for our squash. Fall gardening is the way to make those gardening dreams a reality next year by cleaning up the vegetable garden and improving the garden soil.

Several fall gardening projects need to be done for improved vegetable production next year. Here are some fall gardening tips that will get you started making your vegetable gardening dreams come true.

Clean out all vegetable plants that are have ceased production. Inspect the garden plants as you clear them out of the garden, if they have no bugs or evidence of disease, throw them on the compost pile to be added back to the garden soil next year. If the plants are bug infested or diseased, dispose of them, you don’t want to re-introduce those back into your garden next year. Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, corn borers and potato bugs over-winter in their garden plant’s name sake if the plant is left in the vegetable garden

Garden bugs or disease may have even been a problem in vegetable production this year. While fall gardening, make a note of any garden bugs or disease so you will be prepared with organic or commercial methods of preventing and/or ridding your vegetable garden of these problems next year.

Fall gardening in a warm climate will permit you to plant and harvest a few more garden vegetables. Mid-August through September are good times to plant spinach, collards, kale, lettuce, turnips and radishes.

Planting a fall cover crop in your vegetable garden improves the soil for better vegetable production next year. Fall gardening cover crops include small grains, grasses, legumes that help prevent soil erosion, cut fertilizer costs, reduces the need for herbicides and other pesticides and improves soil health. Next year, you’ll just till in the fall cover crop. Planting a cover crop as part of your fall gardening ritual this year is an easy way to achieve improved vegetable production next year.

Another fall gardening tip for improved vegetable production is now is the time to add manure to your garden. Composted manure is the best and no more than 3 inches deep. You can add cow manure, till it in the soil, then plant a fall cover crop. Fall gardening double impact for improved garden vegetable production through improved soil.

A little fall gardening goes a long way for improved vegetable production next year.