Autumn vegetable growing hints

A Tennessee newspaper has given garden and greenhouse enthusiasts who plan to grow autumn vegetables some food for thought.

The Commercial Appeal provided a number of hints and tips on how to get the best out of your kitchen plot, whether the aim is to grow beans, beets, broccoli or turnips.

According to the news provider, soil should be tilled to about six to eight inches as it is important to provide a good bed for seeds.

It is also a good idea to remove all summer vegetables which have finished producing and allow up to 14 days for those which have been tilled under to decompose.

Checking plants frequently should help guard against disease and alert growers to when pesticide should be used.

Providing the garden with an inch of water each week will keep plants healthy and allow them to provide a bountiful crop.

It is also important to limit the amount of weeds by using mulch as excessive hoeing or pulling of larger weeds can damage the root systems of vegetables.

Meanwhile, the University of Illinois Extension is set to offer a culinary gardening class later this month, the Rockford Register Star reported.