Innovating Organic Gardening

This year was a fantastic year for tomatoes in my garden.

🤔It started out rough, with plants taking almost three weeks to take off after transplanting.

Then off they went,😄 and then we had a super-hot spell, and they pretty much stopped growing. Tomatoes don’t like it when it gets over 85°F and with weeks of 90+, they were kind of like me, not wanting to move.🙄

🌞The good thing about the hot spell was the afternoon rains which meant I didn’t have to water, and the plants were getting enough water to keep them alive to endure the heat.🌦️

Then, cooler weather! 🥳And the tomatoes took off with more fruit than I have had in five years.  Now with the temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s during the day, they are some happy plants and we had enough to do a proper tomato tasting.

This year I grew 32 varieties of tomatoes this year in four beds.  One bed was for the cherries, one for the big slicers, one for the round red and pinks and one for the paste and processing varieties.

Here are the standouts and winners in each category.

The grand taste test winner is at the bottom along with the three epic failures.

Round Reds and Pink Tomato Taste Test Winners

In this category, we chose one favorite and one honorable mention.

The honorable mention is Porter.

This is a small round pink tomato that I grew for the first time in honor of my Dad, who’s name was Porter, and who taught me allot about gardening.

Porter is a mellow but good flavored tomato that would be well suited to a tomato salad. It has a reputation for liking it hot and dry, so it would be a good variety if you are in that type of climate, or for insurance against a drought year. Fruits tend to be about 3”.

I got the seeds from MI Gardener.

The round red taste winner is Old Virginia.

We have grown this one for a few years and it has a simply well rounded flavor that has that good old tomato tang. I know some people like the purely sweet tomatoes and don’t like the tang, but I like a bit of it and Old Virginia delivers.  This is a good fresh eating tomato and would also be good in a tomato salad. Fruits tend to be about 3-4”.

Seeds were from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

🧂FYI – we always try the first taste of each with no salt, then with a bit of salt,

Roma and Processing Tomatoes Taste Test Winners

We have four that made it in this category this year. 

Black Plum is roasting tomato winner.

For a roasting tomato, once again, we liked Black Plum. These are small (1″ x 2″) plum shaped tomatoes that are good fresh, but really shine when roasted with some olive oil, salt and herbs. This seems to bring out their flavor.

The seed I started was from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Tomato winner for making salsa is Siletz.

For a round red processing tomato, we liked Siletz. I have been growing this one for years and still like it for making salsa. This is the only determinate variety on my list this year, and it continues to satisfy.

You can get Siletz seeds from Territorial Seed Exchange.

Then there are two roma types and they are very different in their flavor profile.

Cream Sausage a different flavor for sause.

A new one for me this year, recommended by a gardening friend who is a true Italian, is Cream Sausage. 

People can be skeptical about a light yellow cream colored tomato, and they shouldn’t be. This is one of those surprises.  The flavor is different from a red roma like San Marzano, but it is subtle and yet complex. It does taste like a tomato, but a different one. Then when we tried it with a bit of salt, wow did it pop! The use for tomato sauce became instantly clear. The sauce would taste different and oh, so good. 

I got the seeds from my friend Jackie, but you can get it from Botanical Interests.

San Marzano the standard is still the winner.

Then there is good old San Marzano.  There is a reason why this is the standard for roma types. They are meaty and perfect for making sauce. We enjoyed munching a couple fresh too.

I got this batch of seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Cherry Tomato Taste Test Winners

We have four in this category and honestly three of them are same ones that seem to win year after year, with a few exceptions. We do keep trying other varieties, but we keep coming back to these.

Orange Rossellini a new surprise.

For reds this year it was Orange Rossellini. I confess this was the last year I was going to grow this one, it was it’s last chance.  I grow tomato varieties three years before I decide if they go into my regular varietal rotation or I give up on them. The last two years Orange Rossellini was meh and I didn’t have high hopes for it this year. It was not a strong producer, didn’t get allot of fruit from it, but oh boy were they delicious! Bright, yet sweet with a bit of tang. Well rounded flavor. It saved itself. I got seed from MI Gardener.

Esterina yellow cherry tomato taste test winner.

As is has been the case for several years now, Esterina is our hands-down favorite yellow cherry tomato. It is everything you want in a yellow cherry, sweet cherry tomato. They make the best snack and get eaten so fast they don’t make it to garnish a green salad. I am munching on these while I write this post.😋

I get the seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds.

Moonbeam another great snaking cherry tomato.

Also in the yellow range is the Moonbeam, which is a very small roma shaped grape that I love to snack on also. It comes from High Mowing Organic Seeds.

It has interesting habit where when the fruit is ripe, it falls of the vine and you harvest it from the ground. This would be fun for kids.

The taste is mild, but not bland. It is meaty, not as juicy and I find myself happily munching them. My volunteers agree it is a fun snack.

Full bodied cherry tomato taste test winner is – Chocolate Cherry.

The last of the cherry types is my old favorite, Chocolate Cherry. (I am munching a few of them too). If you like sweet tasting heirloom slicers, then this is the cherry for you. It is a sweet cherry, but it has the rich flavor of a purple slicing tomato. What’s not to love?💜

Seeds are from Territorial Seed Company.

Big Slicing Tomato Taste Test Winners

We have four winners in this category including what I am calling our grand prize of the year.

Let’s start with the two purples.

Cherokee Carbon a cross between two heirlooms.

First is Cherokee Carbon, which is a cross between Cherokee Purple and Carbon. Cherokee Purple has been a traditional favorite, but a low yielding variety. The Cherokee Carbon is as yummy, but produces better. The flavor is rich, complex and deep. There is a certain flavor profile to the purples that I like as it is the most well balanced in flavor. It is meaty with some juice and great to slice and eat fresh.

You can get seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds.

Purple Calabash wins the tomato purple tomato tasting test.

Next comes Purple Calabash. I grew this several years ago and really loved it, but then it had a couple bad years and so I stopped. This is a “ruffled” variety which can tend to split and rot if is gets too much water  – not this year. It is the highest producer of the slicers and as soon as we tasted it, we were – yes – yum – wow, this is why I wanted to grow it again. The stem end will sometimes stay green a be a bit tough, but don’t let that put you off, it is a taste sensation.

As the season progresses, the fruits got smaller, but who cares then it is still producing yummy tomatoes.

Seeds were from Sow True Seed.

Pineapple for something different.

Want a tomato that hardly tastes like a tomato, but is still good? Then try Pineapple. I had kept passing this one up and not growing it, but decided to try it this year. It hardly tastes like a tomato, more like a sweet fruit that you can’t put your finger on where you have tasted anything like it before. We kept looking at each other confused, but kept going back for more because it was so cool, and different and tasty.

You can get seeds are from Tomato Fest.

Now for the Grand Tomato Taste Test Winner

Followed by the epic fails of the year.

Thorburn’s Terra Cotta is the grand tomato taste test winner. 🥳🎉😋

The Grand Tomato Taste Test Winner is Thorburn’s Terra Cotta. This is the tomato that is the star of the show. 🌟It is so full of flavor, so balanced, between sweet, and full bodies, with a touch of tang. It has so much flavor that is it shocking. This was last year’s winner too and if you grow slicers, try it. It may not be the prettiest tomato, but with flavor like this, who cares!

Seed were from Baker Creek.  

Epic Tomato Variety Fails

When you grow over 30 varieties each year as I do, there are bound to be some that just don’t cut it. It could be they had a bad year, didn’t produce, died or just didn’t taste good.

I tend to give variety three years of trials because each year can be different.

This year we had four epic fails.

Pink Oxheart

The first is one that normally does fantastic for me and others. Pink Oxheart. For the last three years it has grown huge, produced and abundance of great tasting tomatoes. Not this year. It grew tall, then died quick. We got no fruit from it.  Will I try it again – yes – because it has done well in the past.

Green Zebra

The next failure come from my sweetheart’s favorite. He loves Green Zebra. For years it grew well, then it didn’t for three years in a row. Because Russell loves it so much, I got seeds from a different company, same spindly plant that didn’t produce and died. If I keep trying it will be because he loves it so much and we can’t find it at the farmer’s market.

Lady Bug

Lady bug – really? This was the first year I grew it. It was supposed to be a super sweet, crack resistant red cherry. What was it? A tiny, dry, bland, meh tomato. Everyone who tried is scrunched up their face and said they never wanted to grow it.

Wine Jug

The last epic fail was one of those tomatoes that is watery and tasteless. I had high hopes for this one as it was bred by Brad Gates, of Wild Boar tomatoes and he grows several that have topped our tomato taste tests in the past. This fail was Wine Jug, named because of it’s shape. Everyone spit it out as gross – sorry Brad, I still love some of your other tomatoes!

That wraps up the 2025 tomato tasting summary. Hope you try some of these in your garden next year.

Companion Plant those Luscious Tomatoes

Get Debby’s top companion plants to grow along with your tomatoes in what she calls her “Tomato Guild”.

A group of plants that grow great together with your tomatoes for productively and beauty.

Perfect for patios, porches, and small spaces – and yes, it’s totally organic!

👉 Ready to keep growing delicious, organic veggies well into the cooler months? Let’s dive in!

Why Fall Container Gardening Rocks

🍂Fall is not the end of gardening season—it’s a fresh beginning!

Whether you’re short on space or just want a more manageable garden, container gardening lets you grow where you are.

Discover how easy and rewarding it is to grow your own food in containers this fall.

🥬🥕Leafy greens and root crops and happy in cool temperatures. They get less bug pressure which means easier maintenance for you.

Growing in containers give you control over soil, sunlight, and watering, making it easier to grow successfully.

Best Veggies to Grow in Fall Containers

As I often am heard saying, you can grow anything in a container, it simply depends on matching the size container with what you want to grow. We’ll get to that in a bit, first –

👉Let’s focus on some top-performing crops for fall that thrive in containers:

Lettuce

One of my absolute favorite things to grow is lettuce. There are so many different varieties that I end up growing over 30 in the fall garden. 

Lettuce can be started indoors in summer for larger transplants or direct seeded once temps cool down a bit.

Spinach

This popular and versatile green is cold-hardy and lends itself to so many nurturing dishes, from salads and smoothies to pasta and spanakopita.

Direct seed spinach as it doesn’t like to be transplanted. All the seed packets say this.

I have found, when I tested starting spinach in trays, that the germination rate was pretty horrid.  I wasted too much seed trying as an experiment – so don’t waste your seed, learn from my test.

Radishes

These fast growers are ready in as little as 24 days depending on the variety. 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

As with all root crops, Direct seed these once the weather begins to cool down. Succession plant them every two weeks for continuous harvest.

Kale

Like lettuce you can either start plants indoors when it is still hot outside, or direct seed it. 🌱

If you direct seed, you’ll end up with baby kale, although you can leave some plants to grow quickly the following spring when temps begin to warm.

This is because kale is cold hardy and can overwinter in all but the coldest planting zones without protection.😃

Chard

I have a friend whose father was a 5-star French chef. 🧑‍🍳⭐

When my friend was growing up and times were hard at the restaurant, his father would substitute chard for spinach in various dishes, and apparently none of his patrons could ever tell the difference.

A cool thing about growing chard is that you can get vibrant colors.  It is also biennial, so will last in your garden for two years.📅

Turnips

Another yummy root veggie to grow in your container garden. I love fresh turnips raw in salads or roasted with other root veggies.🥗

You can seed them close together and harvest the first ones as baby turnips for snacks.  This will give the remaining ones space to get bigger.  I tend to get three harvests from one planting by continuing to harvest and leaving space for others to get bigger.

Turnip leaves are great for soups or stock.🍲

Arugula

This fast-growing green makes uplifting fall salads.  Direct seed it liberally.  🌱

As it gets big, harvest part of it to eat and leave room for more plants to grow bigger. Choose short days-to-maturity varieties. 🥬

Carrots

The most important consideration for carrots is the depth of the container they are grown in.🪴

Make sure your pot is deeper than the mature carrot size is listed on be on the seed packet.

For example, A Yaya carrot is about 6” long, so you’ll want a container that is a minimum 10” deep to grow that variety.

❄️Carrots are pretty darn cold hardy, being fine as low as 18°F and can withstand some frost, so they are great to harvest as it gets colder.

Like with radishes, succession plant for a continuous harvest.

Cilantro

If you are one of those people who have struggled to grow cilantro, it could be because you are trying to grow it in the summer. 

Cilantro is a cool season herb I always direct seed in the fall.  Seed it liberally in a container as small as 8” for some yummy fall salsa.

Choosing Varieties for Your Fall Container Garden

One way to start is by choosing any of your favorite varieties. 😊

If you are new to fall gardening, or want to try something different, seed catalogs give you clues to help narrow your choices.

👀Look for words like “compact”, “grows in a small space” or “great for containers”.

A variety that is listed to grow quickly is also helpful. Look for shorter days to maturity varieties.

To clarify why, as the sunlight wanes, it signals plants to grow slower, so add a couple of weeks to the days to maturity when planting in fall.

❄️Cold hardy varieties are also great because they will give you some peace of mind if you get a snap cold spell or earlier than expected frost.

Setting Up for Fall Container Garden Success

Container Size & Shape

First, choose the right containers for what you want to grow.

🥕For root crops, make sure they are deeper than the length of the roots and wide enough to get a decent (for you) amount of harvest.

To determine this, think of the size of the fully grown roots. That is how far apart they will be at their largest. You may be harvesting baby ones, but you want enough space to enjoy a good harvest.  

🥬For leaf crops, the larger the container, the more bountiful harvest you will get.  If you have large square or rectangle containers, you can more easily grow root crops and leaf crops in the same container because you have corners to tuck in more plants.

☑️A high-quality organic potting mix is essential. Using one that includes mycorrhizae will give your roots a major boost.

The bigger the roots, the bigger the plant, and hence, the bigger the harvest.

The Sun/Shade Consideration

If you are planting your cool season crops when it is still hot outside, placing your containers in the shade will make our plants happier.  

Remember – we are talking about plants that prefer it cool or cold.

If you are planting your cool season crops when it is still hot outside, placing your containers in the shade will make your plants happier.  

One of the great things about growing in containers is they are mobile.  Even if you are growing on a balcony, you can still move the containers to give them more or less sun.  As it gets cooler, move your containers into a sunnier location.

Watering

Containers dry out faster than in-ground gardens, so check your containers every day to be sure the soil is moist.

If you will be traveling, you can get a drip system on a timer to ensure your garden stays watered. Just be sure to either buy a timer that can withstand a freeze or bring it in before freezing temperatures break it.

If you are putting in transplants, a layer of straw mulch will help keep moisture in and protect not only your soil, but also the roots of your plants.

Your Fall Garden Can Start Today!

You don’t need a big backyard or raised beds to grow fresh, organic food this fall.

With a few containers, the right crops, and a bit of know-how, you’ll be harvesting healthy, homegrown veggies long after summer ends.

Want to Grow Even More? 🌱

Ready to plan your full fall and winter garden (not just containers)?
🎁 Get my FREE Fall & Winter Garden Checklist!
It’ll walk you through all the steps to keep it growing an abundance —even as the weather cools.

As much of the US, and other countries are roasting in summer’s heat.  July can also be a time of abundance in your garden.

Summer storms can bring downpours that give plants a flush of water for quick spirts of plant growth.

This is why doing a mid-season assessment of what is happening in your garden will clarify how to keep your garden flourishing the rest of the summer.

Take a cool morning, mid-day break or evening to slow down and observe what is happening in your garden. This will allow you to see where to take action.

Reflect – What’s Thriving and What’s Struggling?

We love those signs your plants are doing well.

The fun part tends to be seeing what plants and crops are thriving and producing. Perhaps you’ll find a huge zucchini hidden under those huge leaves, or start getting so many cherry tomatoes you can gift some to friends.

Then there are those plants that are not doing great.

Look for mid-season stress indicators such as wilting leaves and signs of nutrient deficiencies.

WILTING LEAVES

If you see wilting leaves, notice if they only wilt in the heat of the day, but perk up overnight.

Heat stress can wilt leaves either temporarily or permanently. 

Leaves can also wilt from a disease or bug predation. Yellowed leaves are often a disease and some insects can severely damage plants and cause leaves to wilt. 

Wilting can also be a sign of lack of water.  Perhaps you have not had rain and been busy and not watered. Sometimes, this is all you need to do. 

See my post on watering your summer garden to pro tips on how best to handling watering in heat.

Squash Vine borers are a good example of this. See my article on dealing with them.

Keeping a garden journal in some form is a great way to start cataloging what is happening in your garden.

Observation and documenting what you see are the first steps to mitigating critters and diseases with an Integrated Pest Management System. You can get my Integrated Pest Management Workshop to creating yours including my worksheets, created specifically for home gardeners.

Prune, Train, Deadhead, and Thin as Summer Garden Maintenance

Let’s look at some pro tips for pruning tomato plants, squash, and herbs.

Prune

If you live in a humid place, then pruning your tomato plants is essential to keep them from getting diseased. Aeration is the key to preventing tomato diseases.

 I make sure to keep the leaves pruned from the bottom 12 inches of tomato plants. Also prune out excess leaves inside the plant.  Get everything you need to get an abundant tomato harvest with my Grow Great Tomatoes Master Class.

I do try and save plants that have gotten some disease.

First by removing the diseased leaves. Observe if the plant starts to bounce back after you do this. If not, if the plant continues to get more signs of disease then it may be best to take the plant out, clean up around it to be sure to get any potentially diseased leaves, and throw the leaves away. Don’t put them in your compost.

This may sound like a bummer, but it gives you the opportunity to plant something else that may thrive better.

For example, you could seed some basil, which are good companions for tomatoes and will give you some fresh basil later in the season.  Watch your temperatures though as the basil germinates best in temperatures between 75° and 85° degrees. If it is hotter, they may not germinate as well.  

You can always mulch the area well and save it for planting fall crops. See my post on planning your fall and winter garden in summer .

Train

Some crops do better when trellised like cucumbers. Small melons and vining squash can also be trellised.

Dead Head

Deadheading is the task of cutting dead flowers. You can keep flowers pruned and bring them inside to enjoy, or you can let them dry and save the seeds. No matter how you do it, keeping your flower heads trimmed will keep them blooming longer.

Thin

Bush beans can be thinned so they are not too close together.

I like to plant my bush bean seeds 8” to 12” apart.  If some don’t come up, I reseed and end up with a succession of beans in the row.

Succession Plant Summer Crops & Start Fall Crops

You can succession plant several crops in July such as bush beans, potatoes and zucchini.

When bush beans start to stop producing, simply pull the plants and direct seed more.

A few years ago we forgot to plant our potatoes – oops 😯 so we went ahead and experimented with planting them in mid-summer. It was a happy accident as we dig fresh potatoes in December. 🥔❄️

As I wrote about in a previous article, mid-summer is the time to start fall crops you want to transplant like broccoli, cabbage, chard and kale. Save direct seeding cool season crops until later in the year though, as they won’t germinate well when it is hot. I have a seed germination chart in that fall garden planning post.

If you do want to sow seeds in hot weather, try and keep seeded areas in the shade of other plants or under shade cloth.  Plant them in the evening and water them well so they have the cooler night temperatures to start.  Keep them well watered, but don’t drown them either.  You soil should be moist, not dry or waterlogged. Don’t use all your seed, test some to see how they do in you mid-summer climate. If they germinate well, then you can plant some more.

By replacing underperforming crops, you will better utilize your garden space.

Refresh and Rebuild Soil

If you plants don’t have much leaf growth, your soil might be lacking in nitrogen. In this case you can add some coffee grounds. You can also add some compost or worm castings to freshen up your soil.

In summer’s heat, it is super important to keep your soil covered not only to control weeds but also to retain moisture in the soil.

Mulch keeps the roots of your plants cooler, which your plants will appreciate. Read my article on mulching your vegetable garden.

Plan Ahead – Summer Seed Saving

A great thing to do on these hot lazy summer days is saving seeds from early maturing plants that can be planted next year.

Remember, that gardening is a process. We celebrate what’s working and make informed changes for the time at hand, and for next year. 

If something hasn’t done well in your garden, that is ok!  Every year something thrives and something doesn’t in my garden and the gardens of my friends. This is simply part of the process. It is one way we grow and learn.

If you have any July garden wins let me know and if you have questions, let me know that too here.

Summer Garden Maintenance Checklist

This reusable checklist keeps you on track with veggie, herb and flower summer garden maintenance.

It might be blazing hot outside now, but smart gardeners know—it’s the perfect time to start thinking about cool-season crops.🥦

📆I think of June as being like January.  In January I plan my spring and summer garden and then six months later, I consider my fall and winter garden.

Most people think of tomatoes when they think of growing a vegetable garden, yet summer crops are only part of what your garden can grow for you.

👍Top Reasons to Grow Food in Fall & Winter

1. Eat from your garden year round
2. Less bugs and weeds
3. Lower maintenance

Let’s look at considerations for starting fall crops in the summer.

As I am sure you know, there are two different to start plants, indoors and outdoors. The considerations for each are somewhat different and so is the timing.

No matter what you decide to plant for the fall and winter garden, some planning will allow you to make the most of your garden in each season.

Space for Direct Seeding Fall Crops

Just as we removed spring plants to make room for our summer ones, we need to remove summer plants so we have space for the fall and winter ones.

Another way to make space for fall planted crops is by saving room when planting summer crops.

One example is to plant summer plants like tomatoes and peppers farther apart so there will be space in between to plant fall lettuce. 🥬

In humid climates, this gives you the added benefit of more air circulation around your summer plants which will help keep diseases at bay.

Summer Weather & Cool Weather Crops

🌱Direct Seeding Cool Crops

While most folks are harvesting tomatoes and zucchini, savvy growers are already sowing the seeds for crisp, cool-weather crops.

Direct seeding may not be possible in areas with hot summers.

There are certain cool loving crops that simply can’t take the heat of summer, and also don’t transplant well, if at all.

For these crops, like cilantro, dill, chervil, arugula, peas, spinach and baby greens wait to direct seed them until the end of your hot summer weather.

Fall crops like it cool and here are the best temperature growing ranges for some popular fall crops. These crops are happier in even colder temps, but won’t grow well, or will die in warmer temperatures.

Ideal Growing Temperatures for Fall Crops

• Beets: 50°F – 75°F (10°C – 23°C)
• Broccoli: 60 – 75°F (16 – 24°C)
• Cabbage: 55 – 75°F (12 – 23°C)
• Cauliflower: 60 – 65°F (15 – 18°C)
• Celery: 55 – 70°F (12 – 21°C)
• Chard: 50°F – 85°F (10°C – 29°C)
• Collards: 60 – 70°F (16 – 21°C)
• Fennel: 60 – 70°F (16 – 21°C)
• Kale: 55 – 75°F (12 – 23°C)
• Lettuce: 40 – 75°F (4 – 23°C)
• Parsnips: 50°F – 75°F (10°C – 23°C)
• Peas: 45°F – 75°F (7°C – 23°C)
• Radish: 40°F – 70°F (4°C – 21°C)
• Spinach: 50°F – 60°F (10°C – 16°C)
• Turnips: 50°F – 75°F (10°C – 23°C)

So you can see, that starting many transplantable plants indoors can be to your advantage.

We will look at them in a minute, but note there are some crops that you can plant in the summer and grow into the fall like carrots which grow in temperature ranges of 45°F – 85°F (7°C – 29°C).🥕

Starting Fall Crops Indoors & Hardening-Off

🌱To begin, seed staring is best done on a warm heat mat. This heats up the soil. Once they sprout, the heat mat could be too hot for them.

The heat mat could also be too hot if they are under hot lights, or in a sunny window in the hot summer sun.

To grow well, they seedlings do need lots of light and cool temperatures, so growing them in a well air conditioned room under lights is ideal.

Hardening off your seedlings slowly will be critical. as the seedlings are not going to be able to withstand harsh hot conditions.

I start by taking them outside at dark when it is cooler. I gradually take them out earlier and earlier in the evening, in a shady spot. If I know I will be transplanting them when it is still fairly hot, I will gradually get them used to full sun. At some point I leave them out all night and bring them in on hot sunny days.

How to Know When to Start Your Fall Plants

When starting summer plants indoors, calculate the days to germinate (or sprout) plus the days maturity (or harvest) + two weeks.  Adding two weeks is important because the sun is getting lower on the horizon (vs rising in spring), the plants grow slower.

🔢So as an example: If I have a cabbage that is 10-14 days to germinate, and 62 days to maturity. Then I would add a mid-point or average of the days to maturity, in this case 12 days to sprout, plus 62 days to maturity, plus 14 days = 88 days.

So I would start these cabbages 88 days or twelve weeks before I want to be harvesting and eating them.  In this example, if I want to harvest them in November, I would be planting them in August.

Transplanting Fall Crops

For those crops you started indoors, after they are hardened off, you can plant them as soon as you have space. 

You’ll want to give them adequate growing time before it gets cold. For example, I like to plant them at least four weeks before my first frost date.

This means you may have to remove some summer plants before you want to.  If you are trying to get more tomatoes from plants that are mostly spent, harvest all the tomatoes, even the green ones and process them. This gives you have space for your fall crops.

I know this can be hard, but you can make green tomato salsa for the winter – AND – have fresh fall crops. You get both!

It took three years to convince my volunteers at the Display and Learning Garden I manage to take the summer plants out in this way.

The first year, they were aghast the very idea. The second year they groaned. But – by the third year of having all this fresh food from October through the winter and into spring, they got it.  They got it so well, that they started looking for summer plants to take out! 😃

I encourage you to look through your seed packets, check out some end of summer seed sales and make and consider what fall and winter crops to grow and start planning.  

Planning a fall harvest in the middle of summer may seem backwards, but it’s the key to a thriving autumn garden. – Debby

Free Fall & Winter Garden Checklist

Learn more or get it NOW🎯⬇️

Your fresh, fragrant, and flavorful harvest starts here!

Dreaming of a lush little herb garden right outside your kitchen door—or even on your balcony or back porch? 🌿

Whether you’re tight on space or just want to keep your favorite herbs close at hand, container gardening is a simple, rewarding way to grow flavorful, fragrant, and even healing plants right where you live.

You don’t need a big backyard to get started—just a little sun, some good soil, and a clear plan.

In this article, I’ll walk you through 5 simple steps to create a thriving container herb garden, so you can enjoy fresh ingredients, gorgeous blooms, and a deeper connection with your garden—no matter where you grow. 💚 Ready to dig in?

Step 1: Decide what Herbs to Grow 🌱

Start with what you already love and use in the kitchen—think basil, thyme, oregano, tarragon, savory, mint, or chives.  

This is why most people I know want to grow some herbs in containers, so they can have some fresh for whatever dish they want to make.

I have even decided what to cook for dinner based on what herbs are abundant in my container garden.  This is a fun way to get creative with your meal planning.😊

✨ Consider adding medicinal herbs like chamomile or calendula to support your wellness naturally. These also add flowers to your herb garden. 

Want to expand your garden’s purpose? Toss in a few compact veggies like lettuce or peppers can add not only interest, but also give you a bit of extra food from your container garden.

Want some edible color in your herb containers? Brighten things up with pollinator-friendly edible flowers—annuals like nasturtiums or perennials like lavender.  💜

Nasturtiums are colorful and have round leaves which vary the leaf shapes in your containers. Having different leaf colors and shapes is a key to beautiful herb garden design. The flowers come in lots of colors.

Lavender is a lovely perennial what is edible and smells fantastic!

A thoughtful mix will give you beauty, flavor, and function all season long!

Step 2: Assess your Sun and Shade where Your Herbs Containers will Live ☀️🌤️

Sunlight is the secret ingredient for many herbs!

Before buying your plants, take a few days to observe your space. Is it sunny all day, shaded in the afternoon, or mostly dappled light?

Sometimes simply shifting the location of a table or chair if you are growing on a deck or patio will make a big difference.

⛱️For example, perhaps you want your containers on your deck, but your umbrella shades the area. By considering how to rearrange the items on your deck, you can provide your plants more or less sun so they have what they need to be happy.

🌳Pruning one tree branch can also make a big difference. I had a client once who only needed to prune back one small limb of her tree and to get enough light to flood in to grow more sun loving plants.

Step 3: Match Your Container Location Sun Levels to Your List of Plants 🌞🪴

Once you know how much light your space gets, match it to the needs of the herbs, veggies, and flowers you want to grow. This is where the magic happens! 🪄

Giving each plant its ideal light conditions means stronger plants, lush growth, and bountiful harvests.

This herb container has a curly parsley, a tri-color sage and a creeping rosemary.

Most culinary herbs love 6 or more hours of sunlight—knowing this helps you choose wisely and set yourself up for success. These include basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano.

There are some herbs that will be happier with some shade part of the day, especially cool loving herbs like cilantro and dill.

💪🌿 You’re building a container garden that thrives, not just survives.

Step 4: Choose the Right Container(s) for Your Plant List 🪴💧

Think of your container like a cozy home for your plants! The larger the root system, the bigger and more productive the plant—so go up a size if you can. 🌼

In this case, bigger can be better. Larger containers also allow you to group plants together which can be attractive.

Short on space or large containers, no worries, you can grow in smaller containers too. A grouping of smaller containers can be pleasing to the eye.

Want to make your life easier? Look for self-watering containers that help maintain consistent moisture. 👉But heads up: they’re a helper, not a substitute for regular watering—especially in hot, dry weather.

A self-watering container will allow you to go away for a long weekend without watering, but not take a two week vacation unless it rains every three or so days while you are gone.

Not sure the best color for your container?  Read my article on container colors here.

Step 5: Use High-quality Organic Soil & Plant Your Herb Container(s) 🌱💚

Don’t skimp here—your soil is the foundation of everything! Choose an organic potting mix rich in nutrients, and look for one that includes mycorrhizae—beneficial fungi that boost root health and nutrient absorption.

🌍 Want to be sure it’s safe? The OMRI label guarantees it meets the current USDA organic standards. Your herbs will thank you with vibrant growth and next-level flavor.

When deciding how to group your herbs in your containers, think about the variety of leaf colors and shapes – mix it up!

Three is a good number of different leaf shapes or colors for a container. This container has a purple basil, a showy cardinal basil and marjoram.

It can also be fun to do different varieties of the same type of herb. I am growing twelve kinds of basil this year as an example. In the past I have grown ten kinds of thyme.

Be mindful of using your containers to their full potential by including perennials that will last all winter. After the annual dies back, you’ll still have the perennial!🌿

Example ideas:

• Annual Italian basil with perennial thyme and a nasturtium.
• Rosemary with calendula and marjoram.
• Sage with purple basil and petunia.
• Oregano with annual chamomile and Thai basil.
• Parsley with nasturtium and lemon verbena

Creating a thriving container herb garden is one of the easiest ways to start growing organically—and the rewards come quickly: fresher meals, fragrant spaces, and the joy of harvesting something you grew with your own hands. 🌱

Whether you’re brand-new to gardening or refining your skills, these simple steps can help you build a garden that’s beautiful, useful, and deeply satisfying.  

👉 Ready to grow your best garden yet? 💌 Sign up for The Harvest Companion, my free email newsletter packed with seasonal tips, organic gardening wisdom, and personal support to help your garden—and your confidence—flourish. 🌿📬 Let’s grow together!