This week I’ll start to clear out squares in planning for a full fall garden. I also have a workshop coming up this weekend so I want to make sure everything is ready to replant. I love the workshops-it gives people all the hands on experience they need to learn all they can about square foot gardening.  They learn all the basic and general principles in the first class.  The workshop then helps them to really learn it.   We do all sorts of things-make Mel’s mix, build a box, make a grid, go over the spacing and how to do it, etc. We also spend time on learning how to custom make the vertical towers-where they’re placed and why. We spend time on showing how to attach the nylon netting-the most difficult part of square foot gardening, composting know-how, protection, and other nifty little tricks. Since I’ll have about 6-8 more weeks of growing(maybe more)I’ll want to make sure my compost bins are full. This will give me the time needed to use all the compost that I can make right now to eventually be used in my boxes at the close of the season.  Hopefully, you’re doing the same.  If you do it right, you should be able to produce compost in that amount of time.  I detailed this-with pictures-in my photo gallery if you’d like to see it.   I’m trimming back all the squash leaves and non-productive vines to help them finish ripening. I’m harvesting all I can to open up squares and pulling all my flowers at the same time. I’ll leave the potatoes in the ground for now because they haven’t turned brown and died off yet. The same is true for my onions which are looking fabulous this year. By the way-I know of a great deal for you. A local seed company here in Utah-Mountain Valley Seeds-is selling 14 packs of heirloom and USDA certified organic seeds. This normally would go for $30 plus shipping. Now they’re selling it for not $20 but for $10-and there is free shipping!  You can’t beat that!   Click here for more information. I’m going to buy mine tomorrow.  You won’t find deals like this around very often and it’s from the nicest people around.  I’m beginning to watch the weekly weather so I don’t get surprised by an early frost.  I still have basil that I want to protect, and a bunch of tomatoes.  Did I mention my plans to garden through the winter this year?  I think I’m doing it-I’ve done it before.  It was more work, but it wasn’t that much.  I also might be growing things for several folks as well and this will give me the chance to keep things going.  They won’t have all the fancy summer things like tomatoes and squash, but they’ll have some great tasting lettuce and other produce that’s harvested and picked within a couple of hours.[ois skin=”below post”]