Put Garden to Bed End of Year Clean Up

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Every fall, sometime in October or Nov, I put my garden to bed. I pull a fleece blanket over it, tuck information technology in real tight and say goodnight. Just kidding. Putting the garden to bed is but a layman's term for cleaning the garden at the finish of the flavor and preparing information technology for the upcoming flavor.

This cleaning and preparation can be equally unproblematic, or as in-depth, as you lot would like. I'll share all the details you demand to know about how to practise this, along with tools, soil amendments and more.

Put Garden to Bed

When Do You Put Your Garden to Bed?

By cleaning out the garden beds in the fall you are likewise able to focus on planting in the leap and go your seedlings into the ground sooner, or or directly sow seeds sooner. This tin can lead to a longer-lasting and longer-producing vegetable garden.

I offer one caveat. Whatever yous don't practise in the fall you will do in the jump. Personally I prefer to practice as much as I can in the fall when the soil is malleable, there is a crisp breeze and cute leaves to look at.

If you would rather put your garden to bed in the spring you can, just the soil will likely exist frozen or very soggy (think April showers). I accept to be honest every year I put my garden to bed in the fall but this year I might wait until bound.

I'm experimenting with some late season crops, including spinach, and then if they go along to abound into November it may exist hard to put my garden to bed on time. Notwithstanding, if we take a mild winter I may very well find a good day to do these chores in late November or early December.

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Vegetable Garden Chores

Gardeners take many approaches to put their garden to bed. This mail service is going to focus on the vegetable garden in item. If I perform all of these steps the entire chore ordinarily takes me a few hours.

I try to select a warmer day, or at to the lowest degree a day when the sun is shining. Last yr, I put the garden to bed in late October. The products I utilise to amend the soil have worked well for me and were too recommended during my Master Gardener grooming.

It is wise to accept a soil test performed on your soil so that y'all are positive on exactly what amendments your item soil needs. Too, rotating your crops each year is vital in maintaining soil health.

Putting Garden to Bed

Garden Clean Up

This is my approach for cleaning out my garden at the stop of the flavour. You can perform all or virtually of theses tasks depending on your detail garden, how much time yous have and how the weather is.

Some years, if the conditions has been particularly inclement – I have put my garden to bed quickly – but performing the most essential tasks. Before I share each step of what I do, I want to offer a listing of some tools you will likely need in club to complete this gardening task.

I will go into more than detail with each tool later in the post simply for reference here are the materials I use when endmost upward the garden at the finish of the flavour:

Garden Tools

• Excavation Shovel
• Garden Weasel Garden Hook
• Wheelbarrow

Soil Amendments

• Java Grounds (save from domicile or secure from local coffee store)
• Moo-cow Manure (buy at local gardening center)
• Grass Clippings and/or Leaves
• Os Meal
• Gypsum (in particular if you take clay soil)

For Fall Planting

• Encompass Crops (optional but include crops similar clover or buckwheat)
• Hardneck Garlic
• Spring Bulbs

For Clean Up

• Boiled Linseed Oil (if you plan to condition your wooden garden boxes)
• Dish Soap
• Rubbing Alcohol or Bleach Wipes
• Garden Tool Sharpener

Cleaning Up the Garden

Remove Almanac Plants

Anything that will non overwinter should be removed. When removing your plants exist sure to remove the unabridged root system. A large digging shovel tin can help with this.

If these plants are non diseased they can be composted. I besides make certain to remove any onetime grass clippings, leaves or any other droppings that is in the garden bed.

Weed the Garden

Aye, I know. I'm so sick of weeding past autumn, as well. Only if you have whatever stragglers, now is the time to remove them equally you put your garden to bed.

Many weeds are hearty and tin hands overwinter and begin producing seeds in the leap. Remove them now to save additional weeding subsequently. Many of the winter almanac seeds are already taking hold this time of year.

Finish of Year Garden Clean Upwards

Ameliorate the Soil

I honestly attribute much of my gardening success to this step. During the growing season, plants suck the nutrients out of the soil. If you keep to plant a garden year after year and practise not improve the soil it's possible your plants will struggle with flourishing, due to nutrient depletion.

Fertilizer does assist during the growing flavor, only I also apply this natural amendment procedure in the fall. Usually I will add together coffee grounds (I ask my local Starbucks to save some for me), bone meal, cow manure, grass clippings and leaves to my garden beds. Because I have clay soil, this year I also added gypsum to the soil to assist loosen it.

Putting a Garden to Bed

Double Dig the Soil

Are y'all looking for a real workout? Double dig your garden beds in the fall. This procedure helps bring nutrients deep in the soil closer to the surface to be more easily accessed past next year's seedlings.

Information technology also helps loosen and aerate the soil. I like to ameliorate the soil and then double dig with a digging shovel (so aptly named), to aid mix everything in. The Garden Weasel Garden Hook also works wonders for mixing soil.

Height Dress the Beds or Plant a Cover Crop

I add about i to two inches of grass clippings to the top of the beds. The clippings as well normally contain some leaves. It's good to add together a mix of "greens" and "browns" to your soil. The dressing also helps keep soil from blowing away in the air current. I also find information technology helps with weed control in the spring when I found seedlings.

Instead, if yous opt not to peak dress your beds y'all tin found a cover ingather such equally clover or buckwheat. If you get this route you volition want to remove the plants in the spring or chop and till them into the soil before spring planting.

Found Fall Crops (optional)

At that place is one item I e'er institute in the fall – hardneck garlic. I recently wrote an entire post most the benefits of hard neck garlic and how I establish information technology.

Read my mail about planting hardneck garlic to learn more. It's also common for gardeners to plant spring bulbs (in the fall) such as tulips. Some gardeners may also opt to found onion sets in the autumn. This is well-nigh mutual with sets, versus seeds.

Apply Linseed Oil to Garden Boxes

If you lot use raised beds as I practise, utilise boiled linseed oil to the boxes. I utilise a sponge or flake brush to utilise the oil. Too, be certain to repair the boxes. If any wood is damaged it should be replaced. Whatsoever loose screws or nails should be secured or replaced with new.

Clean and Shop Garden Tools

Once you have completed putting your garden to bed, at present is the time to finish any other winterizing tasks related to gardening. It'southward wise to wash all of your garden tools at the cease of the flavour. I usually launder with warm water and dish soap.

So you lot can dip the tools in a bleach and water mixture, in rubbing alcohol or use a bleach wipe to disinfect the tools. Boiled linseed oil can as well exist applied to the wood handles of tools to condition them, and to the blades of the tools themselves to protect them from rust.

Gardening tools can likewise be sharpened at this time. Don't forget to also clean and bring in items such as your garden hose and wheelbarrow. I also launder my garden gloves at the end of the season and make a betoken to tidy upwards the garage and bring out winter tools such every bit the snowfall shovel.

Put Your Garden to Bed

In Summary

It's very easy to put your garden to bed. Take some time in the fall to clean upwardly your garden and you lot will be happy yous did. When spring arrives you lot will exist able to immediately begin planting and enjoy eating the fruits, vegetables and herbs that come up from your garden.

It may feel similar a chore now but I really do endeavour to clean upwardly my garden in the fall versus the spring for the same reasons. Once spring hits I can go out and institute immediately.

Do yous make clean upward your garden in the fall or spring?

*This post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated and republished for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Source: https://blog.hollyhammersmith.com/how-to-put-your-garden-to-bed/