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

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

The chill in the morning air over the weekend is a signal it’s time to put the vegetable garden to bed. Fall cleanup is an important step in preparing the garden for the next growing season, because 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.  

Best practices for putting the vegetable garden to bed in the fall include harvesting the last of the tomatoes and vegetables, clearing the garden beds of all plant material and debris, mulching with organic materials, and planting a cover crop. 

Start with a thorough cleaning of your vegetable garden.  Removing plant material after you have harvested is a smart gardening practice. Leaving tomato plants, cucumber vines and other plant debris in your garden after you've finished harvesting will provide hiding places for pests and plant diseases, giving them a head start next spring. Shred or break up pest and disease-free plant material into smaller pieces and put it in your compost pile or incorporate into the garden soil. Diseased plants or plant parts should be disposed of. 

The second step in fall cleanup is to facilitate adding organic material to your garden bed while the soil is warm and workable. Healthy soil is key to your garden and a clean garden bed is the ideal time to amend your soil. Adding organic material now will improve soil structure and increase microbial activity, which leads to stronger root development and improved nutrient uptake in the spring and summer garden.

Spread out the leaves you just cleaned up off the yard, then add three to four inches of organic compost on top of the leaves. This will help maintain the structural integrity of the soil as well as protect the all-important micro-organisms living in your garden soil. Organic material can be in the form of packaged organic compost, peat moss and earthworm castings.  Come spring, the decomposing leaves and compost can be worked directly into the garden soil.   

Step three, protect your garden soil through the winter with a cover crop.  Using a cover crop is a great way to rebuild soil structure and overall soil health, protect and nourish soil microorganisms, suppress weeds, and return organic material and nutrients to the soil in the spring when you turn it over. Hairy vetch, common buckwheat, fava beans and oats are good choices for cover crops.  

Together, cover crops and organic material will build and maintain healthy, microbial-rich soil through the winter, a sure way to improve the yields in your garden next season.  Make fall garden clean up a part of your routine. It will set up your vegetable garden for a great start next spring.   

  

 

 

Now's the Time to Winterize your Lawn

This week’s warm weather aside, October is bringing about a change in your lawn.  The shorter days and cooler temperatures mean the grass isn't growing as vigorously and typically, you're mowing less frequently. While top growth has slowed down, grass roots are still very active storing nutrients and moisture, getting ready for the winter season.  All this activity at the root level makes this an important time to build soil structure and to feed your lawn.  

This is accomplished by first aerating the lawn, then adding organic material to soil in the form of humate. Aeration is important because it relieves compaction and opens the soil, which allows air, water, and fertilizer to penetrate to the roots.

You can do aeration yourself or hire it done. Just make sure you get a good core extraction, not just punch holes in the ground.  

Next, add granular humate to your lawn. Granular humate will break down clay, improve soil structure and increase microbial activity in the soil. Humate will also help your grass take up nutrients more effectively and stay greener with less water. After applying Humate, water in thoroughly, then select a winter-specific lawn fertilizer.  

A good winterizer fertilizer should contain more Nitrogen than Phosphate and Potash. Typically, the numbers on the bag will read something like 15-3-6 or 25-5-6.  Nitrogen is always listed first, Phosphate second and Potash third.

Fertilizers applied at this point in the season do not contribute to significant top growth. Instead, the Nitrogen component in these fertilizers is absorbed by the root system. This will ensure there’s enough food available for a quicker green-up and stronger top growth early in the spring season. Phosphates and Potash in winterizer fertilizers build strong root system which helps the grass crowns survive the winter.  

  

Over the next few weeks, gradually lower your mower's height so that the last cutting will be about two- and one-half inches tall.  

Mowing frequency is more a matter of keeping the leaves from collecting on the lawn, than of grass growing. Using a mulching mower to chop up leaves is an effective way to return organic matter to the soil. Bagging the clippings and using them in the garden is also a possibility if the lawn hasn’t been treated with an herbicide. 

During the winter, use a simple sprinkler to water your lawn, if there isn't sufficient natural moisture. This will also benefit the trees and shrubs planted in or near your lawn. Winter watering is especially important where the lawn and trees are surrounded by sidewalks and streets. Do this when the temperature is above 40°F. Taking these steps now will help ensure a healthier lawn next spring.  

 

 

Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs

You’ll see them in early spring, often blooming through the snow. Early blooming crocus are a sure sign that spring is on its way. The crocus flowers are soon followed by daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, each bringing its own distinct color to your garden.  

These spring blooms are from hardy bulbs that were planted in the fall.  Planting bulbs is the best way to have a colorful spring garden and now is the time to plant them.  

Bulbs available for planting now are hardy bulbs, which means they are cold-tolerant.  They will survive our winter weather and bloom for many seasons to come.

When it’s time to select the bulbs you’re going to plant, choose bulbs that are firm and light tan in color. If you want a succession of spring colors, choose early, mid and late blooming bulbs, of varying heights. Save the tag or mark the bag so you will remember the variety.

 

Bloom time is dependent on where you plant your bulbs and how deep you plant them. Bulbs planted near a fence or foundation are going to bloom sooner because the reflected heat warms the soil up. If your bulbs are coming up too early or you want to slow the bloom time, add 2" to 3" of mulch to the bed. To ensure spring blooms, there are a few things you’ll need to know. 

Where you plant your bulbs is important. Bulbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight to bloom properly. You could plant early blooming crocus and tulips in a normally shady spot such as under a tree because crocus and early season tulips will have bloomed before the trees begin to leaf out in the spring. An alternative would be to plant bulbs in pots and move the containers to the sunniest spot in your garden.

As with anything you plant, better soil equals better results, so take time to add amendments to the ground where your bulbs will be planted.  

The amendments for our soils are produced locally, like organic Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost or Cow and Compost.   

You can use a spade or garden fork to prepare the ground.  Augers and bulb planters are handy tools to have when you're planting your bulbs, especially around existing perennials and shrubs. Bulb planters work best when you’re using them in amended soil.

Add some Dutch Bulb Food to the ground before you place your bulbs, so the roots will grow into the fertilizer. 

 

Once the site is prepared, place the bulb in the ground with the pointed side up, roots down. With smaller bulbs it may be difficult to tell which side goes up.

One side will generally be flatter than the other. Place the flat side down. As a rule, plant the bulbs three times their height. A 2" tall bulb should be buried 6" deep. Cover the bulbs and mark the spot where they are planted. Water the site thoroughly. Check on your bulbs through the winter and water as necessary. For the best color display, plant bulbs in groups.  

In addition to Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths don’t overlook specialty bulbs such as dwarf iris and Dutch iris, allium and muscari. Planted now, these hardy bulbs will bring color to your spring garden for many seasons to come.