Remove any diseased leaves and dispose of them.

Give your tomato plants a last dose of food. Some compost tea or fish emulsion should give them the energy to finish up the season.

Once night time temperatures start dipping into the low 70s, you probably aren’t going to get any new fruits forming. To speed up ripening of the existing green tomatoes, pinch off any new flowers.

If a light frost is predicted, cover your plants with a row cover or sheet. You can leave the row cover on during the day, but the sheet is too heavy and opaque, so remove and replace as needed.

If you still have green tomatoes well into the cool days of fall, you can lift the entire plant and hang it in a dry, sheltered location, like the garage. The fruits will continue to ripen and will still have some of the benefits of ripening on the vine. Try and take some roots with the plant, but you can shake off any soil. Also, you don’t want to hang the plants in direct sunlight or total darkness.

You can also go the old tried and true route of picking the more mature green fruits and ripening them in the house. Mature green tomatoes will have a tine of color at the blossom end and feel a little soften than the solid young fruits. Options for ripening green tomatoes indoors include:

Placing them on a sunny window sill. This is a hit or miss solution. You’ll have much better luck ripening mature green tomatoes. Although the tomatoes are more stable sitting on their stem side, they will rot less readily if you can place them blossom side down.

Wrapping individual green tomatoes in newspaper and layering in a box, no more than 2 layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry spot and check weekly for progress. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for the green tomatoes to ripen, but check frequently and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting.

Placing the green tomatoes in a paper bag with a ripe apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening. Check the bag daily.

HERBS INDOORS

Fall doesn't mean you have to forego fresh herbs; simply bring them indoors! Not all herbs will grow indoors, so be sure to read up and then select the appropriate varieties such as thyme, rosemary or even parsley. It is important that they receive enough sunlight, so place them in a location that receives approximately 6 hours of sunlight. Remember, some herbs will require less sunlight. During the fall and winter months, your herbs won't require as much water, however, misting will keep them happy!

DECORATING TIPS FOR FALL

Pumpkins are the star of Fall decorating. Simply adding various sizes of pumpkins to a window sill can provide seasonal appeal. From jack-o-lanterns to hollowed-out pumpkins filled with potpourri, pumpkins are a simple way to add autumn accents to any room of the home as well as the patio and porch. Trade your regular planters for a few iron plant cages; fill them with small pumpkins and colorful ornamental gourds for a great new look beside the front door.

Dried flowers make wonderful indoor displays. Fall is the time for bringing the outside garden inside. Employing plants with autumn colors like gold, yellow, orange, brown, etc…decorators can enjoy these garden plants wherever they please from the kitchen to the formal living room. Simple baskets work fine to house these dried bouquets that signal the approaching fall season. Adding sprigs of dried flowers and berries to a simple grapevine wreath can enhance your front door.

As days begin to shorten, adding candlelight to various rooms can make a dramatic statement. Choose candles with great fall colors, but also, opt for seasonal scents like nutmeg or pumpkin-spice. Candles make a simple and effective centerpiece for dining room tables during the season.

Quilts, especially with fall colors, offer a sense of warmth and style to various rooms in the house. Change tablecloths for seasonal ones. Even a decorative pair of oven mitts sporting autumn leaves is a great decorative detail for the kitchen. Fall table scarves and placemats are also ways to provide a sense of the season.

Until next month.....keep smiling and reach for the stars