By William Terry Kelley
University of
Georgia
Gardening may have been more work than reward during this long,
hot summer. So now you’re ready to hang up the hoe and spade for
the winter. But don’t quit just yet. Some fall maintenance will
help you avoid problems next spring.
First, make some good notes before you forget this season. Take
note of varieties that performed particularly well or not so
well. Make a map of areas in the garden that have problem weeds.
Identify them if you can. Note any areas that have stayed too
wet or areas that didn’t produce well.
Fall is the ideal time to take a sample for nematodes, too.
They’ll be at their highest populations while the weather is
still hot and vegetation is still growing. Mark your calendar to
take a soil test within the next two months, too, so you’ll have
time to apply any needed lime well before spring planting.
Clean up
Once you’ve updated your records, remove any trellises you’ve
put up in the garden. Remove any string or plant debris, and
knock off any excess soil. Store them in a dry place to help
preserve the life of the trellis materials.
If you have irrigation in your garden, situate them for winter,
too. Remove hoses, sprinklers, drip tape, etc. Store these out
of the elements for the winter, after you remove any excess
soil or plant debris.
Repair, sharpen and lightly oil garden implements before
storage, too.
Now that you have all the obstacles out of the way, it’s a good
idea to run a rotary mower across the garden to chop up any
plant debris that remains. This allows plant debris to dry down
faster and keeps weeds from going to seed before frost.
Applying a burn-down herbicide a few days before mowing is even
better.
Cover crop
Use the fall to add organic matter like grass clippings, manure
and leaves that have been composted. Then bury the organic
matter and debris by turning the land and planting a cover crop
for the winter. This will help prevent soil erosion. It can
build up the soil when you turn under the cover crop in the
spring. A grain such as rye or wheat works well for this.
Finally, don’t forget to order your seed catalogs by the end of
the year and begin planning next year’s garden. Getting your
seed ordered early in the year will better your chances of
getting the varieties you want.
Have a cozy winter. Spring’s just around the corner, and garden
fever will be getting your blood pumping to get out and play in
the soil again.
(Terry Kelley is a Cooperative Extension vegetable
horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
