By Terry Kelley
University of
Georgia
You’ve harvested the last of the summer veggies, and you’re
ready to hang up your hoe and spade until spring.
But don’t abandon the garden spot before the job is finished.
Gardens need to be put to bed for the winter. Some fall
maintenance will help you avoid several problems next growing
season.
The end of the season is the best time to make note of the
varieties that performed particularly well or not so well. Make
a map of garden areas that had problem weeds or that stayed wet
or didn’t produce well. Identify the weeds if you can.
This is an ideal time to take a sample for nematodes, too. The
highest populations are while the weather is still hot and
plants are still growing. Mark your calendar to take a soil
test within the next couple of months so you’ll have time to
apply any needed lime well before spring planting.
Remove any trellises you’ve put up. Store them in a dry place.
This will help to preserve the life of the trellis materials.
Remove any string or plant debris and knock off any excess
soil.
If you have an irrigation system in the garden, get it ready
for winter, too. Remove hoses, sprinklers, drip tape, etc.
Store these out of the elements for the winter, too, after
removing any excess soil or plant debris. Be sure to repair,
sharpen and lightly oil garden implements before storage as
well.
Once all the obstacles are out of the garden, run a rotary
mower across the garden to chop up any plant debris that
remains. This allows this debris to dry down faster and keeps
weeds from going to seed before frost. Applying a burn-down
herbicide after mowing is even better.
During the fall, add organic matter such as composted grass
clippings, manure and leaves to the garden. Bury the organic
matter and debris by turning the land. Then plant a cover crop
for the winter. This will help to prevent any soil erosion and
can build up the soil when you turn the cover crop under 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.
Do these things and your garden will have a cozy winter nap.
And don’t fret. Spring will be here before you know it. And
your garden will awake refreshed and ready for those summer
veggies once again.
