KEEPGrowing

What to do in September.

COVER UP

Summer might be waning, but the growing season is still going strong. Halifax garden pro Niki Jabbour grows food yearround, often trekking through snow to pluck fresh produce from her garden structures. “I love growing crops such as cabbage, broccoli and kale in my autumn garden,” she says. “With protection, we often harvest them into January.” In her new book, Growing Under Cover, Niki explains how row covers prevent damage from insects and deer, and offer temporary protection from surprise early frosts. She says they couldn’t be easier to use: “Toss one directly on top of the plants in a garden bed or over a container on a deck or balcony, and remove the next morning.”

Row covers are made from spun, bonded, translucent polypropylene, which lets light, air and water pass through to the plants. Available at local garden centres or online.