Extending Your Vegetable Garden Harvest

Gardening | Local

All of us here at Avant Gardening & Landscaping hope that you have had a rewarding and successful summer in the garden! As the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are getting cooler, you may want to extend the use of your garden.

Did you know you can plant the same type of vegetables that flourished in spring during late summer-early fall?

The following plants should have adequate time to ripen:

• Radish
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Collards
• Early Cabbage

All are frost-hardy vegetables. Most of them live and thrive with our cool night-time temperatures and extend our productive gardening season with lots more produce.

This photo was taken at Olbrich Botanical Gardens Herb Garden in Spring, but these vibrant lettuces could be planted this time of year too!

Feeling overwhelmed with too much produce?

If you have surplus fruits and vegetables from a very successful summer’s work and you are starting to harvest more produce from your garden than you can use, preserve, or give to your friends, you might consider giving it to one of the many food pantries in the area. Many continue to report increased difficulty meeting the growing need for assistance. Donating your extra produce helps to eliminate food waste, hunger and malnutrition in your own community.

Not sure who to contact to donate extra harvest?

Visit Ample Harvest to find a local food pantry eager for your excess produce. Please share this information and urge your local pantry to register so others may do the same.

In the Madison, Wisconsin area, Second Harvest Food Bank will accept fresh food donations. Click the link for more information on who to contact and where you can drop off food!