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On of the most common reasons why gardeners get their Spring planting done late, or not at all is because they don’t have the time or inclination to do the work necessary during late March or April. To avoid this pitfall, why not get a jump on Spring chores during the crisp Fall days. Think of the many benefits!
One of the joys of gardening is getting outside, working the soil and enjoying nature at it’s finest. Just because the plants are spent and dying, does not mean you can’t still enjoy your garden. Now is the time to remove all spent plants from your beds and get them into the compost pile. I like using trellises for peas, cukes, melons & such, and I use garden twine to hold vines. I cut off all the old twine, leave it on the soil, and make sure the trellises are in good repair for next year.
I usually turn partially decomposed organic mater into my soil now, and them cover each bed with another layer of the same so I don’t have soil exposed to the Winter elements. If your soil is in need of amendments such as lime stone, rock phospate, greensand, etc., now is a good time to add it. Rock soil amendments take time to break down in the soil and do their job. By Spring, your soil will be loaded with humus and rich with the nutrients you added in Fall.
In mid-March, I like to plant my green peas, but since the weather is usually cold, wet and windy, I would rather not spend any more time outdoors that I need to. If I prepared properly in the Fall, all I have to do is sprinkle some blood meal on the ground, mix it in to the top 3-4 inches and plant. I can plant my 20’ pea trellis in 15 min. or less, which works for me.
As Spring comes and it’s time to plant other varieties, I just pull back whatever organic matter is left undecayed on the surface, add my nitrogen, loosen a few inches of soil, and I am good to go. Because of all the organic matter I incorporated INTO the soil in the Fall, the entire bed is loose and friable.
When doing Fall chores, don’t forget to put away all tools, wheelbarrows, hoses and the like so they are in good shape for next year. The execise is great, the weather enjoyable, and I can look forward to my next garden without worrying about all the prep in Spring!
Blessings,
Ron
“The Garden Guy”
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