Fall Garden Prep

            The first thing to do to prepare your garden is clear it of all plants, debris, and leaves. Old plant and vegetable matter can act as a hiding place for unwanted pests and disease to spend the winter waiting to attack next year’s garden. Make sure any diseased plants are removed completely and healthy plants are put into compost.

            Next step is to identify your perennial plants and cut them down to a few inches above the soil surface to avoid frost damage to the plant. As long as the roots are intact the plant will survive and thrive next year. It can also be very beneficial for perennials to be divided and transplanted every few years around this time of year to avoid sending the plant into shock. Most plants are going into a dormant sleep stage right now and wont be as disrupted by any cutting, digging up, or moving around.

            The final stage of garden preparation is getting your soil ready for next year. Top your garden with a few inches of mulch or compost as a protection and mix it into the soil in the spring. This would also be a good time to plant spring blooming bulbs and seeds, before the ground becomes too hard to plant. You can protect your garden from scavengers by covering it with burlap when you are finished planting and composting.

            Plan the lay out of next year’s garden during the upcoming chilly nights and make improvements on last years garden if necessary. During the winter there are a lot of veggies and herbs you can grow fresh indoors so that you don’t have to rely on the grocery store for everything you need to make a delicious, healthy meal.

            Make sure that after all of your fall garden work is finished you clean and properly store your tools for next year. A lot of garden tools are vulnerable to rust if not taken care of so store them in a dry place out of the way. To further protect from rust and damage rub metal parts with vegetable oil and wood parts with appropriate wood protection oil after you have thoroughly cleaned and dried them. Keeping ahead of things this fall will make for easier planting in the spring and a healthier more bountiful garden.