Easy Gardening for Autumn

Lower temperatures make autumn a terrific time for gardening and spending time outside, while our plants continue to grow merrily. Growing plants should be a leisure activity and with a little help, it can be, despite having issues related to our aging.

Before starting any physical activity, gardening in particular, loosen up your joints and do some mild stretches.

“Ergonomic” tools and tips are designed to make gardening less difficult, limit repetitive stress on our joints and help minimize some of the aches and pains we might feel. Wear gloves, especially since hands often get blisters when gripping or sliding on the handles of tools such as hand gardening tools, shovels, and rakes. Applying a coat of liquid rubber to handles can keep hands from slipping. Attach extension handles to gardening tools since longer handles minimize stressful arm, shoulder, or back movements. Try to keep your wrist straight, fingers slightly curled and relaxed, not bent or twisted to minimize wrist pain when holding tools.

Gardening can also entail bending and lifting. Always be sure to lift, bend and move correctly.

Instead of a big garden, consider using a couple of large pots, perfect size for a patio garden. Filled with a good potting soil, they can produce spring through fall. If you can protect them from the colder temperatures as the weather changes, they will often continue producing during the winter!

Should you have enough room, try using raised beds, no more than four feet wide and ten feet long. The soil can be as deep as you want, but rarely needs to be more than two feet. Filled with well-amended soil or mix, raised beds can be as productive as a small farm. Be sure to use your ergonomic tools to help you do the lifting, moving, and cultivating work.
If you have an even larger garden area, use it. The options of what you can grow is only limited by your imagination.

Gardening offers so many possibilities to seniors. Whether you use small pots, large pots, raised beds, or large garden areas, growing the right plant in the right space, using the right tools, we can all enjoy our fall gardens! happy gardening in the months ahead.

By Angela O’Callaghan, PhD

Clarke, D., Lindsay, A., Mazzullo, N., Montana, C., O'Callaghan, A. 2020, Healthy LIVING While Aging! (2020/10), Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 10

Extension Associated Contacts

 

Also of Interest:

 
Melon Survival, Yield and Quality in Nevada's High Desert Climate
This study evaluated melon varieties and agricultural practices for melon production in the high desert. Conclusions identify melon varieties that demonstrated advantages in terms of plant survival, time to harvest, fruit size, number of fruits per plant, and sweetness.
Moe, J., Kratsch, H., Barrios-Masias, F., Hanson-Mazet, W., di Santo, Heinrich 2024, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, SP-24-02
melons
Melons and On-Farm Produce Safety
Melons have been grown in Nevada for generations, are suited to sustainable desert food production, and are known to be extra sweet as a result. Produce safety needs to be taken into consideration during melon production. This publication highlights the latest guidance, practices...
Moe, J. 2020, Desert Farming Initiative (DFI), University of Nevada, Reno
Honeydew melons
Melon Research
The Desert Farming Initiative was awarded funding through the state’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program for a three year project to evaluate melon varieties, production techniques and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods for the Nevada high desert climate.
Moe, J., and Schembre, C. 2020, Desert Farming Initiative (DFI), University of Nevada, Reno
 

Associated Programs

Master Gardeners at tabling event

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans

master gardener team sitting on tractor

Master Gardeners of Washoe County

Master Gardeners provide free, research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

pesticide traing cb

Pesticide Safety Education Program

Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program provides web-based training for pesticide applicators seeking to apply restricted and general use pesticides safely, properly and according to the law. Pesticide licensure and certification is administered by the Nevada Department of Agriculture.