Putting Your Garden To Bed

For many years, I started my vegetable garden growing space when everyone else usually does...in the spring after a long winters nap.  My energy for gardening was highest at that time and I attacked the yard, the flowerbeds and the vegetable garden with vigor and excitement.  Unfortunately, my soil type and location didn't always match up with the timing of my energy burst.  I would find myself trying to mulch, till, shape and plant in soil that was either too wet, too cold, or not quite ready to be woken up.  This delay was usually because of the dense clay I have in my gardening soils. This isn't too much of a problem in my flower beds or other places in my yard because I am not trying to prepare those beds usually at this point in the spring. But my vegetable garden...I had to get in there early to get those delicious peas and other early crops growing! Such a quandary...what to do?  Gardening can be so stressful!

Then the light dawned on me...what if I do all the "heavy lifting" of preparing my vegetable beds in the fall and let them sit through the winter?  Maybe that would work.  After a few research sessions on Google and talking with a few of my fellow Master Gardeners, I decided that by preparing my vegetable beds in the fall, it would be beneficial in several ways:

• Provides a great way to compost left over garden waste, and green waste (shredded veggie plants) in a large quantity
• Gives an opportunity to prepare a flat bed veggie space into raised beds while the soil is dry and warm
• Easy to amend and break up the soil before it is cold and too wet
• Allows for very early planting without disturbing the growing beds
• Helps warm the soil early for earlier germination of vegetables
• Allows for fall planting in the new beds at the right time (garlic, lettuce, etc.)

Now, preparing your vegetable beds in the fall does require that you have just enough gardening energy left to "put your garden to bed" properly in the fall.  But, if you push through and can get those beds amended and formed in the fall, your spring planting and summer vegetable production can be increased dramatically.

So, here is my process for preparing my vegetable beds in the fall and putting my garden to bed for the winter:

Step 1:  Take the garden down and shred all vegetation and excess vegetables for easier composting.  Please note, do not shred or attempt to compost any vegetation that exhibits any sign of disease, fungus, or deformation.  Remove this type of vegetation and dispose properly.

Step 2:  Spread the newly shredded material evenly over your vegetable garden space.  Add additional shredded green waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc) to the desired depth of organic matter.  I prefer to add between 4-6 inches of shredded organic matter to my garden each fall.

Step 3:  Sprinkle a light layer of ammonium sulphate (21-0-0) or urea (48-0-0) fertilizer across the layered organic matter.  This helps with the composting of the organic matter during the winter months.  The amount will be determined by how much new organic matter you are using to amend you garden space. I usually apply approximately 1 pound (2 cups) per 100 square feet.

Step 4:  Using your preferred method of breaking up the soil, mix the organic matter and the fertilizer into the soil.  I use a rototiller, but I know there are some that prefer a broad fork or other method.

Step 5:  Form the soil into raised beds.  I measure 30 inches and pull a string.  Using a shovel, I scoop out he freshly loosened soil out along the string creating a sort of "trench" to walk in.  I spread the loose soil on top of either side of the trench.  The trench is the walk space and the "raised beds" remain undisturbed.

Step 6:  Leave your garden undisturbed through the winter months.  Start planing your early vegetables as soon as the soil dries and warms to the appropriate levels.  I can easily start planting my peas by the first of March.








If you have a chance, you should try preparing your garden and putting your garden to bed in the fall.  The benefits will amaze you!