Toward the end of your growing season, your garden may look worn out. You might be feeling the same! But before you and your garden take a well-deserved winter break, set your garden up for success next season.
Remove all diseased and pest-infested plants. Removing them from the garden reduces the chance of compounding infestation next season.
Feel free to leave nondiseased plants in raised beds or in-ground gardens. Though you might not prefer the aesthetics, leaving some plants can boost productivity next season. Root networks decompose naturally, feeding soil life. Beneficial insects can overwinter in plant debris. Large plants with deep taproots, such as okra, do not budge easily in the fall but will come out with a one-handed tug in the spring.
Cover the soil on raised beds and in-ground gardens. Do not leave your soil bare over the winter. The most nutritious layer of the soil is found in the top few inches, and uncovered soil erodes in heavy winter rains and snow. Add a layer of compost on top to replenish nutrients, or at the very least leave the mulch on top to protect the soil and break down over the winter.
Empty containers, sterilize them, and put them away. Containers left out in the elements over the winter may crack and degrade. Place soil from nondiseased plants in a large bin with a lid. You can reuse this soil next season combined with some fresh soil mixture. Clean the empty containers with a 10 percent bleach mixture to kill any remaining pathogens. Store the containers in a sheltered location.
FAQ: Garden Maintenance and Harvest
When irrigating, how do I know how much water my garden receives? Whereas many gardeners just eye their plants to make sure the water provided meets their needs, others want to measure it. The easiest way to do this is to place a 1-inch-deep container (e.g., a tuna can) below a drip emitter or under a soaker hose. When the container fills, your garden has received 1 inch of water.
Do I place soaker hoses or drip lines above or below the mulch? Either. When placed below the mulch, water will go directly to the plants, but you also risk inadvertently slicing into the lines when working the soil with a hoe. Lines placed on top of the mulch can be easily moved if you see certain plants in need of more or less water.
What are my options for organic soil amendments? If your pH is too low (under 6), add dolomitic lime; if it’s too high (over 7), add elemental sulfur. For additional nitrogen, excellent options are blood meal, mushroom compost, and composted chicken or rabbit manure. Bone meal and rock phosphate add phosphorus, and greensand adds potassium.
What is the difference between slow-release and water-soluble fertilizer? Slow-release fertilizer, available in a dry form, releases its nutrients into the soil over time. This is an excellent addition to the soil at the time of planting for long-term fertility. Water-soluble fertilizer such as fish emulsion adds a burst of nutrients and is usually added to the plants themselves.
How often should I expect to harvest? Whereas some crops require a daily harvest at their peak (okra, squash), others can be harvested a couple of times per week. But keep in mind that harvesting signals the plants to keep producing. Although there are exceptions (root crops require only one harvest, for example), it’s always best to harvest early and often for the highest total yields.
How long through the season should I expect a crop to yield? Crops with a quick-burst harvest such as bush beans, peas, and determinate tomatoes yield over a period of about 3 weeks. Crops with a weather-dependent harvest, such as lettuce, greens, and cilantro, yield until rising temperatures signal the plant to bolt. Under mild conditions, these plants may continue to produce throughout the season. Crops with a full-season harvest, such as pole beans, indeterminate tomatoes, and cucumbers, continue yielding until frost or disease kills them. You can expect to harvest one-and-done crops (for example, garlic) either all at once or over a short period of time, depending on the uniformity of their maturity. Herbs are typically harvested any time, but early in the spring and summer, before flowering, yields the highest quality. Bear in mind that these are generalities, and your climate may affect when and for how long a particular crop yields.
References
Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah Martin. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.
Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips. Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.
Bradley, Fern Marshall, and Jane Courtier. Vegetable Gardening. White Plains, NY: Toucan Books, 2006.
Cool Springs Press. Gardening Complete. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press, 2018.
Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer . New York: Workman Publishing, Inc., 2008.
Harrington, J. F. “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.” University of California at Davis. Accessed October 18, 2019.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/12281/soiltemps.pdf .
McCrate, Colin, and Brad Halm. High-Yield Vegetable Gardening . North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2015.
Reich, Lee. Weedless Gardening . New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (blog). “The Major Plant Families in a Vegetable Garden.” Accessed October 22, 2019. http://www.southernexposure.com/the-major-plant-families-in-a-vegetable-garden-ezp-190.html .
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