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Here's how to transition your garden from summer to fall

Though our summer heat is peaking now, experts say this is the time of year to start planning and planting your cold-weather garden.

YORK, Pa. — Tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon, and zucchini are all summer garden staples. However, as these fruits and vegetables are at their prime and get harvested, now is the time to start planning and planting your fall garden according to Wade Smith, a Landscape Designer at Stauffers of Kissel Hill. 

“Those are all things that are prime time in the garden right now but those are all coming… your potatoes, things like that… they’re all coming to an end as summer’s winding down," Smith tells FOX43. “And now’s a good time to start putting a second crop in, as it cools down, things that don’t like it when it’s hot that you picked early in the spring, like lettuce, cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, peas -- you can all do some new crops for the fall.”

These crops need to get planted now so that they have time to root and grow in the soil, perfect for harvesting as we go into the cooler months. 

Credit: WPMT Fox43

“Just lightly refresh your soil a little bit and go ahead and stick your fresh transplants in, or start your seeds right now," says Smith.

The average first frost in our area typically occurs in October. Most of the fall plants that you plant can handle the frost -- and might even taste better because of them.

“Red beets in the ground, let them get a good frost on them," says Smith. "Brussels sprouts can get sweeter with a good frost."

Many customers have been purchasing these fall vegetables lately. Other new arrivals for the change of season include mums, which Smith anticipates will start producing a lot of color in the next few weeks.

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