Wrapping up Your Garden for the Year

You winterize your home and auto before the snow flies so why not do the same for your garden?  Gardeners usually wait till the first frost as it will kill whatever is still green, but you can start wrapping things up whenever you see that the garden is closing down.    

First, harvest whatever is left green and fruitful.  You can prolong this process by covering your plants during the cool nights.  The potted plants in containers can be placed in the garage for protection.  Pick green tomatoes and place them in single layers in an uncovered box indoors to help them turn red. Next you should weed out your flower and vegetable gardens.  This will give you a head start for next spring’s planting. After the frost, pull the plants from the ground.  The diseased ones should be thrown in the garbage.  The other ones can be placed in the compost pile.

Mixing leaves in the soil is a long process but it has proven to help the soil.  It will speed the decomposition process and will aerate the soil.  An easy way to do this is to dig a trench next to your planting row and fill with leaves then top with soil.  Cover the area with compost to make a moisture-protection mulch.  Next spring you can work it into your planting row.

If you have perennials cut them down to the ground and cover with mulch or leaves.  Keep them hydrated until about Thanksgiving.

If you have rain barrels, they should be emptied, sanitized, and turned upside down.  Tools should be cleaned, sharpened, oiled, and stored in a dry place.  If your gloves are washable, do so.

Keep a journal and take pictures so next spring you know what to continue and what to change.