Preparing Your Garden Beds for Winter: Vegetable Gardens
As the leaves rapidly begin to change and we say goodbye to summer 2022, it is time to prepare our garden beds for winter. While it is easy to let summer fade and leave the vegetable garden to be tended to in the spring, preparing it during the fall protects your garden and its nutrients.
New England lies in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 7. Most vegetable/herbs plants are annual and will not survive a winter within these zones. The first step to preparing garden beds for the winter is clearing out any expired plants/vegetables. Once the season’s plants are removed, you can layer your nutrient enhancer of choice over your existing soil. A couple of popular choices for soil amendment is compost, fresh manure, aged manure, or composted manure.
Fresh Manure
Fresh manure is a good option to amend your garden bed in the fall but using this in the spring could result in burning your plants. Fresh manure is best used in the fall, so it has the winter to work into the garden without the threat of harming any plants.
Aged Manure/Composted Manure
Contrary to most common knowledge, aged manure and composted manure are different. Aged manure could be a pile of manure you have kept in your backyard, but this does not mean it is composted. Composted manure requires minimal effort and monitoring. Temperature is an important factor when it comes to composting manure. Ensuring the manure reaches certain degrees will eliminate all unwanted bacteria and pests. The second step to composting is providing appropriate air flow (turning your pile.) This will add carbon or nitrogen rich components that are necessary. Once the temperature of your pile begins to fall to air temperature, you will have composted manure! Either aged manure or composted manure, these are great additions to your garden in the fall.
WeCare Compost
While composting is a mindful, environmentally conscious habit we can all partake in, not everyone has the space or material for it. Manure is not always easily accessible, and composting is not always an option for all avid gardeners. We can help you by providing a healthy recycled product that you do not have to worry about monitoring temperatures and aeration!
Cover Crops
Growing cover crops is another option for recharging your soil and protecting your garden. Cover crops will protect your soil from harsh elements and erosion. The roots of these crops grow down deep to break up compacted soil and open the soil for air flow. Either cover crops or even leaves from your yard will provide a protective layer against the winter weather.
We look forward to assisting you in finding the perfect soil amendment for your garden this fall!