Official TEG Poll: What’s Your Late-Summer Garden Focus Right Now?

[TEG Project Manager]

As the long days of summer slowly shift toward fall, every gardener seems to have a slightly different focus. Some are knee-deep in harvesting and preserving, others are already sowing seeds for autumn crops, and a few are dreaming up next year’s layout (with a hopeful sigh or two).

Whether you’re celebrating your best tomato season ever, fighting off the last wave of pests, or starting fresh for fall, we want to know: What’s taking up most of your garden energy right now?

Cast your vote below and let’s see what the community is up to!

Every gardener has their own rhythm—what’s yours this season? Vote and tell us more about your current garden wins, challenges, or plans in the comments below.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

This is the time of year I stay busy fending off wild animals like deer, elk, ground squirrels, and grasshoppers and several more critters to numerous to name from seriously damaging plants or helping themselves to what amounts to them as a salad bar loaded with goodies. They usually bring the whole gang like a meal break on the way to the farm.

Fencing , placing plantskyyd grannuals around to fend of deer and outside cam detection warnings as well as motion detector sprinklers. Traps and dogs are on guard 24/7 and more. Never a dull moment . What’s that old saying, “Plant it and they will come” Keeping it as simple as possible is never letting your guard down.

 

[Phaedra]

I started cleaning the garden pretty early this year and hopefully, we can have a tidier autumn garden and a lot of good quality homemade compost for the next growing season.

 

[SPedigrees]

This is the time of year I stay busy fending off wild animals like deer, elk, ground squirrels, and grasshoppers and several more critters to numerous to name from seriously damaging plants or helping themselves to what amounts to them as a salad bar loaded with goodies. They usually bring the whole gang like a meal break on the way to the farm.

Fencing , placing plantskyyd grannuals around to fend of deer and outside cam detection warnings as well as motion detector sprinklers. Traps and dogs are on guard 24/7 and more. Never a dull moment . What’s that old saying, “Plant it and they will come” Keeping it as simple as possible is never letting your guard down.

Oh don't I know it! Last night I applied deer netting over what is left of my beets. Obviously I should have done this sooner, but at least half of my beets can now grow to maturity. Acres of clover and bluegrass, but they go for my beet greens, it figures. The buffet is over now!

Still the very early beets I rescued were delicious, cooked with butter - that and the greens sauteed with garlic and olive oil - was dinner last night. I had planned to pickle the entire harvest, but now I'm thinking I'll make my pickles from organically grown beets for sale at the farmers market, because mine, fresh from the garden, are too yummy not to just eat.

 

[SPedigrees]

As the long days of summer slowly shift toward fall, every gardener seems to have a slightly different focus. Some are knee-deep in harvesting and preserving, others are already sowing seeds for autumn crops, and a few are dreaming up next year’s layout (with a hopeful sigh or two).

Whether you’re celebrating your best tomato season ever, fighting off the last wave of pests, or starting fresh for fall, we want to know: What’s taking up most of your garden energy right now?

Cast your vote below and let’s see what the community is up to!

Every gardener has their own rhythm—what’s yours this season? Vote and tell us more about your current garden wins, challenges, or plans in the comments below.

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I seem to be in good company with "Harvesting summer crops" and "Watering and maintaining." I've been adding green beans to salads and saving some for a stir fry. They are growing up the posts on my front porch, planted in a container. Not many so far, but it's early. Also harvested and ate early beets.

I took stock of my watering cans early this summer, retired some and added some new ones in a rainbow of colors. For the two raised beds far from my house, I placed filled 2 gallon water cans next to these beds. They are good for about 3 waterings before needing to be carried back to the house for a refill. Except for the pots on my front porch, I haven't needed to water very often because of frequent rains.