Now’s the Time to Put the Vegetable Garden to Bed

This week’s weather is the signal it’s time to put the vegetable garden to bed. This involves harvesting the last of the tomatoes and vegetables, clearing the garden beds of all plant material and debris and preparing the soil for next spring.  It’s important to remember that what you don’t accomplish in the garden now, you’ll need to do in the spring, when you’re eager to plant your garden, not clean it up. Garden chores done now, allow you to focus on planting in the spring, knowing that your garden beds are healthy and your soil is ready. Start with a thorough cleaning of your vegetable garden.  This includes digging up what’s left of tomato and potato plants, cucumber and pumpkin vines and any other warm weather plants you may have grown this year. Leaving tomato and vegetable plant roots and debris in your garden after you've finished harvesting, will provide hiding places for pests and plant diseases, giving them a head start on your garden next spring. 

A good example is powdery mildew. If powdery mildew is a persistent problem in your garden, it's because the spores can winter over on leaves, stems and other plant material left in the garden.  

The second reason for fall cleanup is to facilitate adding organic material to your garden beds while the soil is warm and workable. Healthy soil is key to your garden’ success and fall is the ideal time to amend your soil. Plan to add 2" to 3" of organic materials to your existing soil. This includes raised bed as well as traditional in-ground garden plots. Look for packaged organic soil amendments that you can easily transport home and work into the garden.  This includes Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost, Cow and Compost and Organic Compost. These products are produced locally and will work effectively in our clay soils.  

A one cubic foot bag of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost or Cow and Compost will cover ten square feet, two inches deep. Spread the soil amendments evenly over the bed and dig in to a depth of six inches. Organic material will improve soil structure and increase microbial activity, which leads to stronger root development and improved nutrient uptake, next season. This is also a good time to apply granular humate. Adding humate now will improve crop nutrient uptake and help improve yields overall next season.  

Protect your garden soil through the winter with cover crops and natural mulch.  Winter rye, buckwheat and oats are good choices for cover crops.  Cover crops can still be planted now, though they may not achieve maximum bio-mass. What does germinate will help protect your garden soil’s microbial life as well as improve soil structure when it is worked in next spring. Tree leaves are also a good choice to protect your soil through the winter. Shredded leaves can be broadcast over the garden, providing protection for soil structure and microbial life. Come spring, the decomposing leaves can be worked into the garden soil or added to your compost pile. If you don’t have access to leaves, apply a two-to-three-inch layer of Soil Pep to the surface of your bed and work it in come spring. Added together, cover crops and organic material will help build and maintain healthy, microbial-rich soil, a sure way to improve the yields in your garden.  Make fall garden clean up a part of your routine. It will set up your vegetable garden for a great start next spring.