Start with a clean slate.

Prepare your garden bed for success by completely removing all previous plants, foliage, and root networks from your garden. Use a shovel or pitchfork to loosen up the soil, and if possible, mix in some fresh compost to your soil to provide new nutrients. As always, try to fill your garden as close to the brim as possible to help ensure that your garden bed doesn't cast unwanted shade on your plant babies!

Patience is a virtue.

Even fall-specific plants will grow more slowly in the fall than in the summer. In the Fall, the sun is in the sky for less hours, and is further away, meaning that there is less photosynthesis occuring, which will cause plant growth to take longer. You can still add Seedsheet Fertilizer which will help speed up maturity, but most plants will grow more slowly in the Fall than the Summer. That's one reason why we selected the fastest-growing plants like radishes and salad greens in our Fantastic Fall Garden.

The bugs are gone... but the squirrels are hoarding!

Thankfully, cooler fall weather means that most garden pests have died off or started their larva hibernation. Japanese beetles, aphids, tomato worms, and cabbage flies are finally a thing of the past, WHEW!

However, as the weather starts to turn, you will find more critters eying your garden with hungry eyes as they build their stashes. Here are some of our favorite pest hacks:

1. String up some fishing line around your garden. It's nearly invisible and works great at deterring deer and squirrels.
2. Aggressively sprinkle cayenne pepper all around your garden, even on your plants! It will scare off most four-legged foe!
3. Add some flash and motion. Aluminum foil, bright pinwheels, and ribbons all work well.
4. Scrarecrows work if you want to scare crows... but if you want to scare critters, consider a plastic snake or owl! Pro Tip: It's almost Halloween, so you can get some seriously spooky stuff!