I'm pulling up all my tomato vines (monsters), so do I cover the 12 X 20 plot with a tarp to keep the weed seeds out of it, or just leave it be. I'll finish up tomorrow and will have just very few weeds there to pull. The tomato vines have been so thick on it, I guess there was no room for weeds. I know if I leave it bare and open to the sun, I'll have a big crop of weeds in no time.
What should I do?
Need advice about dormant garden spot
mulch it heavily and when you are ready to plant again, the mulch becomes compost.
Plant a fall cover crop to add nutrients to the soil. Farmers that don't have a winter crop and have a fallow field will plant crimson clover, hairy vetch (my two favs), rape, legumes, or others planning on tilling them back into the soil in the spring. It improves the soil and helps stop weed germination by covering the plot. I love the beautiful red clover balls and the gorgeous hairy vetch blooms so much that every year I throw more out in our far back yard that doesn't get mown just to enjoy them.
Here is a nice article describing using green manure to improve your garden:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/preparing-a-vegetable-garden-for-winter.htm
A very good suggestion from rouxcrew.
I used to plant a winter crop of turnips since they'll take about any weather down to 25°F with the roots being pulled as needed and the greens harvested until they die back. For that mass of turnips that you can't use, the extras are usually easy to give away to friends and/or co-workers.
I've decided against the fall garden idea. DH doesn't like any of the greens or winter squash, so I don't want to put my energy into it for just me to enjoy. Anyway, most of garden fun for me is sharing it.
I've cleaned up the plot, and I'm wondering if putting down crushed oak leaves (maybe three inches) and then the chipped up oak and cedar branches on top of that would make a good mulch. I think I have to layer instead of mix those two, because of the wind that whistles down our lane. The plot will be somewhat protected, because it's close to the tree line, but I'm sure the tiny leaf parts would blow on those really windy days.
Sybram, Sounds good. Wettiing the leaves also helps to keep them from blowing away and aids in the composting process. You will be so glad you did this come Spring planting time.
Thanks, steadyc. I've raked the plot all even and got about a four foot strip done with the leaves and wood chips. Now I'm headed down to do some more chipping.
Just wondering...........I know my lack of weeds this last season was due to my having put down newspapers first when constructing the bed. I'm assuming those have all deteriorated. Should I not till the plot that deep, so I leave that paper layer undisturbed, or what? Should I expect more weeds this next season because I don't have a paper layer of protection?
Don't till the plot, just make a hole for each plant and plant it.
Tilling it makes the weed seeds sprout. Do like Jo recommends and your weeds wont come up.
^ Ditto.
So, I don't need to work this mulch and more compost in next March? The whole thing has settled and looks like I need more volume.
You can put compost and mulch around the plants if they need it.
So I don't need to work in this top dressing I'm putting on now?
No, the nutrients will work themselves down with the water and rain.
But of course, if you feel better working it in go ahead and do it, I am not at your place so i can not see your situation.
Thanks, Jo.
Now that you've got a good bed settled and mostly weed free, it's better not to til, because the organisms that "eat" the compost and break stuff down can do their work undisturbed. I second the above--just mulch it, water it down, and enjoy a rest this winter! :~)
The rest sounds good. I need one (right after I weed all my beds, clean out the garlic beds and plant with the Elephant garlic that Jo is bringing to the RU for me, trim and thin out all the cannas and EEs, pot up some RU things, turn one compost bin, feed the other one with left over old round bale hay and poop in the round pen, and shred more leaves and chip more limbs to finish that garden plot. I love all this stuff, but God thought of a good thing when he made "seasons," didn't he. 'Bout the time I finish the above (maybe November), holiday company starts coming in. And that is work with a different shovel. lol Last year, starting the middle of November, we only had two days (the longest) between sets of company until the day after New Year's Day. Big family. Love it!
"...and that is work with a different shovel." Heheh.
Agree with others, don't till them in now. It's best to run all your leaves for composting through a lawnmower or some other type of process to chop them up. Especially live oak leaves in the spring as it shortens the breakdown cycle. I also throw on a heaping of plain old sugar to feed the microbes, and or some type of organic fertilizer, store bought or manure.
Oh heck, Chuck, too late. I finished it yesterday. Well, maybe not--you tell me. My chipper is leaking gas, and hubby is really busy right now and can't look at it. I was only about a third done with it, but I did have more crushed leaves and a muck bucket of chipped wood/leaves. So, I added that (about 3 inches of crushed leaves, then two inches of chipped wood).I felt like I needed to get it covered so started looking around for what I could use. Our workshop has a long porch on it, and the leaves pile up high in front of it. There are layers and layers of rotted leaves, so I raked all that up and added to plot, as well as lots of regular dry oak leaves, which I made about 6-8 inches high instead of three. Then I saw my two piles of red hardwood mulch (small leftover piles), one from last year and one from this summer. I just use them when the armadillos get rowdy in the flower beds. I scraped all that up that I could, even though the last year's pile had already broken down a lot. Had about 4+ inches of that on it, and then watered in all the new stuff.
So, should I put those other things you mentioned on top, or just leave it be. I have horse poop, but of course, the sugar would be a lot easier. I also have some coffee grounds, but not enough to cover it.
You sound like an experienced gardner, which I'm not, so I would really appreciate your thoughts.
Oh, I remembered that I also used som old landscape mix under the red mulch. That part of the plot is way higher than the rest, but you can't tell it that much from the pic.
For manure, horse poop is not as good as cow, or chicken being the best. Horses don't ruminate the feed as long as cows so it isn't broke down as much, rougher texture and takes longer to decompose.
Doesn't matter, mulch is mulch in the end. The main thing is to aerate it and keep it where it gets sun to warm it, while also keeping it moist. Turn your mulch piles over regularly with a fork to help them break down quicker.
When adding new material, especially if green to a mulch pile, don't just dump it on top and leave it. Take a fork and turn it over so you get some compost/dirt on top that contains the microbes. Or take a few shovelfuls out before adding, and then put those back on top.
I've always read that sugar feeds the microbes which helps break it down quicker. Adding some fertilizer (preferrably organic type) replenishes the depleted nitrogen and other trace elements. If you find worms in your compost pile, you're on the right track.
Chuck, don't forget that it is a garden bed, not a compost pile.
Hey Frostweed, how are you doing. See the roundup, but won;t be able to make it.
Yeah, the original question was about the beds, just passing on info for her other compost piles she had scattered around.
I am doing fine Chuck, that white passion flower you gave me is still going strong after all these years.
Had a sixty foot span of fence producing 50-60 flowers per day - but it was killed off in two weeks by a massive Monarch butterfly larva infestation couple years ago. Never recovered after that. New taller fence and no sun so I've given up on most vines. Still have a Crossvine doing well you gave me though.
And a large bag of Frostweed seeds - no plants right now....too shady