What to plant in autumn ?

Autumn is often seen as the end of the gardening season. For experienced gardeners, however, it is a strategic time. As horticulturist Albert Mondor points out, certain vegetables such as garlic and leeks benefit greatly from being planted at this time of year. The soil is still warm, humidity is more stable, and plants have time to take root before winter. 

Garlic : a must-have 

You can plant garlic between mid-September and mid-October, or even in November if the soil is not yet frozen. Choose a sunny spot with light, fertile, well-drained soil. Each clove planted will produce a bulb. Plant each clove separately, with the tip facing upwards, covering it with 4 or 5 cm of compost. Leave about 10 to 15 cm between cloves. A good mulch of leaves or straw will protect the young bulbs during the winter. Choose a hard-stemmed, robust garlic cultivar that is resistant to harsh winters, such as the “Music” variety.  

Leek

Leeks   Few people know this, but leeks are rustic perennials (they tolerate cold weather and are resistant to harsh conditions) rather than annual vegetables. Like asparagus and rhubarb, you can leave a few plants in the ground each autumn. The following spring, they will flower and then produce young shoots that can be harvested year after year. Some cultivars can be planted in August and early September for harvesting in autumn or early winter. To protect them from frost, add a thick layer of dead leaves or straw (20 to 30 cm) in November.  

egyptian onion

The Egyptian onion is undemanding, perennial and almost self-sufficient. It produces bulbils at the end of its stems, which fall to the ground and take root on their own, hence its nickname, the walking onion. Plant these bulbils in September or October for a good harvest the following summer. They are very tolerant and will even grow in clay soils, as long as they are well-drained and sunny. 
 

What about flowers ?

Autumn is also the ideal season for planting spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocuses. Plant them before the frost, in well-drained soil, and let winter do its work. Spring will reward you with colour.  

Sowing in autumn is an investment in the beauty and abundance of spring!

Sources : Texts by Albert Mondor, Grow ginger and garlic on your balcony and Les légumes à planter cet automne