It’s that time of the year when cold weather has brought the growing season to a sudden halt. I always prefer to clean my garden in the fall, enhancing my chance of a jump-start in spring planting. Fall is a good time for many garden tasks, with the weather cooler, the bug activity reduced and the workability of the soil.
First you will want to remove all of the annual plants from your garden, including any leftover weeds, as they can harbor diseases and insects. Diseased debris should be discarded and not placed in a compost pile because temperatures in most compost piles do not generate enough heat to kill all pathogens.
Next, you might want to think about tilling manure, compost or other organic materials into your garden to improve the soil. Mulches can be worked into or spread over the soil surface. Mulches decompose more quickly and improve the soil structure when worked into the soil. They also decrease moisture loss and erosion and suppress weeds when spread over the soil surface. Good mulches include weed and disease free chopped garden compost, leaves (no walnut leaves), straw, spent hops, and coffee grounds.
Finally, sit back and admire your clean garden with thoughts of how you want to fill it the following spring.
