Preparing The Garden For Winter

I have mixed feelings when it comes around to preparing the garden for winter. It signifies a change of seasons and moving into a quieter time of the year.

Soon the snows will come and I won’t be spending as much time outside in the garden. I will miss being outside working in the garden, but I do enjoy the slower pace of winter.

I have more time to get caught up on reading and spending more time in the kitchen. However, winters are long here in Vermont, so I know it will be many months before I am outside in the dirt!

Leaving the gardens in good shape is my goal. I pull up all the old vegetable plants and clean up any fallen tomatoes or other over ripe fruit that has been left behind. I also pull the weeds that continue to grow no matter what the weather.

This year I am also planting a cover crop. Planting a cover crop can serve two purposes, it can help to smother out weedy garden patches and provide nutrients for the soil when it is tilled under in the spring.

Several of the raised beds have had compost added to them at the end of the growing season. I will use a pitchfork to turn the compost over in the garden bed. This will insure that it will be well decomposed by the spring.

The fall is also a good time to check over your tools. Check and see if anything needs repairing or sharpening. Rub your tools lightly with vegetable oil. This will help prevent rust and recondition the wooden parts too. Drain your power equipment of gasoline. We usually try to run the mowers until the tanks are dry. Sort through your garden tools as well. Do you have tools that you never use? Perhaps they should be passed along.

If we weren’t planning a trip this fall I would be growing some kale, spinach and lettuce using row covers. Nothing like enjoying fresh produce in November.

It’s always kind of sad to say good-bye to the gardening season. However, this winter when we’re enjoying our well stocked pantry we will remember the garden. When the seed catalogs start arriving this winter it will once again be time to plan next year’s garden!