Fall Garden Clean-Up

Fall is a time to reflect on the year’s harvest and prepare the beds and gardens for next year’s plantings. It is such a beautiful time here in the northern midwest with the trees in all their fall glory. So many colors and different textures. We live in Ohio zone 6A so we are at a time of year with much shorter days and cooler temperatures. We still have some of the garden planted with fall veggies and greens but for the most part it is time to start the fall garden clean-up and ready them for winter and a time of rest.

Removing the Old

As the harvest comes to an end for each crop it’s time to remove the spent plants and dispose of them properly. This is when we determine if they should be added to the compost piles, compost in place, or removed and disposed of. Those plants that did well for us and produce a nice harvest can still be used even though we have reaped the fruits they may have produced. On the other hand, if they produced a great harvest but struggled with disease and/or pests then we should dispose of them.

Composting

Making your own compost is such a great way to use up some of old yard waste and repurpose it into something that will benefit our gardens. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Even just making a leaf pile and composting leaves is a great way to use your yard leaves. This will save the waste of bagging it and sending it to the dump too. There is enough of our junk there already.

Leaf Compost

In the fall we like to use our lawn mower with the bag attachment to collect the leaves. This chops the leaves up and helps them to decompose faster. You can even place this directly in your gardens to decompose over winter. The beds are then ready for your spring planting. Add this around your new tender seedlings to help with water retention, weed preventions, and an added soil amendment. This will help improve your soil especially if you have clay soil as I do.

To this leaf pile you can add those plants that you have pulled from the garden. These are plants you have harvested from and are ready to be disposed of. You can throw them in their whole state or chop them up if you have the time and methods to do so. I find that just placing them in the leaf pile is usually enough. If it is still warm the heat will help break things down even faster. Heat, water, and bugs usually make quick work of this on those hot summer days.

There are certainly other ways of keeping a compost pile and I feel like that could and probably will be a whole other post. For now, we will keep it to clean up.

Compost in Place

The other way to compost those used up plants is to compost in place. I don’t use this method often. I live in the city, and I don’t want my neighbors to have to look at my unruly garden beds. If I do use this method, I will place the plants in or around my growing plants and top this with that leaf mulch we discussed earlier. This does help with the look and also retains water and heat which helps to break those plants down even faster. I have done this with my broccoli and cabbage plants, and it has work great.

Remove the Diseased

The plants that had any form of disease this season do not compost in place or in a compost pile. Bag this up and get rid of it. The bacteria and disease can remain in the soil and then transfer to your crop next season.

I always have issues with my tomatoes. This is a paste tomato (pictured above) that I purchased from Baker’s Creek Heirloom Seeds also known as Rare Heirloom Seeds. They still produced but I always battle with blight and bottom end rot. These are some of the plants that I for sure do not compost. I always try to prune any diseased foliage off during the growing season as well. This will prevent the spread or at least slow it down. Using leaves or grass clippings (that leaf pile we talked about) around the base will help when watering and prevent splashing up which can spread disease that may be lingering in the soil.

Mulching

During your fall garden clean-up, it is a great time to mulch. This will help with weed germination and also add a layer back to the soil. You can use those chopped up leaves you mowed over or wood chips. Early next spring when things start to come alive those areas you have mulched will stay weed free and ready to plant in when the time comes. This will make spring clean-up faster as well. This is also a great way to make those fall veggies last a little longer in the season keeping the soil insulated and the plants roots protected.

One thing to remember about mulching is that it insulates the ground. This will also keep those pests and larva better protected from the cold winter elements. If you know you have a problem with pests in a certain area of the garden, I don’t recommend using a top layer to mulch. I would consider a cover crop instead. This will still give the soil some insulation but not as heavy as a mulch. I struggled with squash bugs this year in my pumpkin patch, so I am not mulching in that area. I’m sure I will still see them next year, but I don’t want to make it easy for them.

Soil Amendments

This time of year is also a great time for adding back to the soil and getting it ready for spring planting. Adding the leaf mulch, wood chips, and other organic plant matter is a great way to do this. We also like to add in that organic cow manure or other source of manures. Adding it in the fall will give it ample time to decompose and break down. This will make it safe to plant in by spring. This adds nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium back into your soil. After a season of planting the soil is depleted of these nutrients and this is a great way to add them back in the fall. You should never add fresh manures and then plant directly after adding. This will burn your plants and any seeds you may have started. Adding manures in the fall will give it time to break down and become safe for planting.

I hope you found something in this article that was helpful. If so leave me a comment and Happy Planting!