The Quiet Work of Fall

This week is all about savoring the slower pace and staying ahead of disease pressure.

Author

The Grounded Homestead
September 30, 2025

Weekly roundup

A Time to Breathe

This season is where the farm exhales—less frenzy, more steady care. It’s a good reminder that we’re meant to work and rest.

Homestead Happenings

Coffee, Cover Crops, and Cooler Mornings

The mornings have turned cool enough for coffee on the porch again—my favorite season on the farm. The raspberries are still giving a handful a day, just enough to eat fresh. The green beans keep producing, and the fall greens we planted are finally taking off.

Most of the garden is at rest now, blanketed in cover crops. It’s quiet in a good way, the kind of quiet that feels earned after a long season. I’m walking the rows every morning, checking for weeds, watching the oats and clover do their job.

It’s a slower rhythm, but it’s the perfect time to look back at what worked, what didn’t, and what we’ll do differently next year.

Step-by-Step Prevention Checklist

Your 3-Step Defense Against Radish Diseases

If you’re planning a late fall radish planting, this is the guide to read first so you don’t waste seed—or time.

Here’s the simple rhythm that keeps radishes trouble-free:

  1. Start Clean: Use fresh seed and well-prepared beds.

  2. Grow Fast: Keep plants evenly watered and spaced so they don’t stress.

  3. Rotate Beds: Don’t plant radishes in the same spot twice in a row.

Follow these steps and most radish diseases never get a foothold.

This week’s post breaks down the most common radish diseases, how to spot them early, and what to do about them without reaching for synthetic sprays.

The Long Game

Think Beyond This Year’s Apple Harvest

Good orchard care is more than saving this year’s apples. It’s about setting trees up to thrive for decades. Balanced pruning, consistent soil nutrition, and the right timing on sprays keep disease pressure low and growth steady.

When you prune, focus on removing crossing branches and opening up the center of the tree. More sunlight and airflow mean fewer fungal problems and better fruit quality next season.

This issue covers how to prune for airflow, when to spray organic protectants, and how to keep your orchard healthy year after year.

Season Veggie Recipe

Rustic Roasted Green Beans with Garlic & Lemon

A simple way to use up those last green beans while they’re still coming in strong.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • Salt & pepper to taste

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Toss beans with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

  3. Spread on a sheet pan and roast 12–15 minutes, until just blistered.

  4. Finish with lemon zest and juice before serving.

Try it this week and see how fast they disappear.

Closing Tip

Pull weeds before the frost sets them in place. Even a few late season weeds can drop seeds and cause headaches next spring. A quick sweep of the garden now saves hours later.

The Grounded Homestead