(Photo:  Our hot pepper and tomato fall salvage)

Putting All Gardens to Bed and Tucking Them In

Putting growing areas to bed is a good idea but not quite the same for all four garden types. There are differences for in-ground plots and raised beds; large, immoveable containers; portable containers; and cold frames. Putting these carefully to bed can save time, spring labour, and some containers.

General for All Gardens

  • Salvage all remaining vegetables, herbs, and seeds.
  • Wrap salvaged tomatoes in a brown paper bag or just leave them out in a bowl away from the sun – sun will toughen the skins!
  •  Let squash, onions, and garlic dry & cure for 3 weeks.  When cured, onions, garlic and winter squash will last a long time – do not refrigerate.
  • Potatoes and onions side by side will emit ethylene gas and cause each other to grow. Separate to avoid this – but in spring use onions or bananas to sprout your potatoes: cut the potatoes into chunks and plant all chunks containing sprouting eyes. From one store-bought potato, I grew 3.5 pounds.
  • Dry herbs indoors or freeze them.  Frozen herb butter is handy through the winter, and for sautéing.
  • Remove and green bin or yard waste all evidence of disease (e.g., mosaic virus, tomato blight, etc.). Get rid of roots, stalks, and leaves – do not compost. Diseases in the soil will affect next year’s plants; rotate plantings to new areas for next season.

(Photo:  Mosaic Virus on white currants)

Roots of plants penetrate hard-packed soil, aerate it, reach nutrients deep down, and hold soil in place; Leave them be.  They will decompose and disturbing the soil to rake them out disturbs much of the life in the soil — life you will need in next season.  However, tree and shrub roots can create serious challenges.  A nearby tree (not ours) has made one of our in-ground plots unworkable – the roots are like steel cables and very prolific – Dr. David Suzuki was right; a tree “knows” when there is a good restaurant nearby!

Compost or composted manure will return to the soil or potting mix all the nutrients plants need (NPK + trace elements) as well as loosen soil structure, release nutrients slowly, retain moisture, fight diseases, and balance pH, all without burning plants.

Compost can be home-made, or one can purchase either compost or composted farm animal manure. Note: home-made compost may contain vegetable seeds which will grow and surprise you! We have a lot of unplanned squash, melon, and tomatoes as weeds or as compost accessories and water meters.

Caution: mushroom compost may be high in organochlorides – use smaller amounts. In any compost or fertilizer, too much nitrogen produces abundant green growth and hardly any fruit [e.g., our 15 sweet pepper plants + too much mushroom compost = giant pepper plants (waist high), but only 4 peppers].

In-ground Plots and Raised Beds

(Photo: Urban Community Garden – composters at the back)

  • Wait until first frost if the plants are doing well. Chard, cabbage, Brussels sprouts – to name a few – will linger longer and taste sweeter after a frost. Use shears, weed whipper, or electric hedge trimmer to cut & drop the soft parts of plants (leaves & spoiled produce) to cover the soil. These cuttings will fertilize the soil, help reduce erosion, and feed soil life.  They also keep your composters free for the winter additions.
  • Chop and compost, green bin/yard waste or bury any woody stalks (Brassicas, sunflower, tomato vine, etc.). These will take time to decompose, often longer than one season.
  • Leave the roots and stubble as well as any organic mulch such as straw or leaves until spring. Remove all other mulches: woody bits, bark, stones, fabric, and plastic. Roots will prevent erosion, stubble will provide winter homes for helpful insects, and the soil life will process the compostable material. Note: weeds will come and cover exposed soil within 2 weeks, because nature dislikes bare soil.
  • Add 4 cm./1.5 inches compost to the garden surface; do not rake-in. Tip: you can save compost when you target only the growing areas.

Tip: if you plan to plant garlic, clean up, cultivate and mark clearly a section of the garden, add the compost, and plant. Marking is essential so you will not walk on it in spring or forget where the garlic is planted and drive a garden tool into the bed.

  • In spring, as soon as the soil is workable, rake off the mulch, stubble, and weeds (moisture in the soil makes this easier). Compost whatever you do not intend to put back as mulch.

Large Immoveable Containers

  • Rake out large roots and stubble – no need to be fanatical about the smaller roots as many will decompose.
    Tip: a serrated trowel helps cut the roots and a claw can rake them out.
  • Add 4 cm/1.5 inches compost or composted manure.
  • Allow the container to dry somewhat and then cover the container to prevent leaching of nutrients, and to protect the soil from squirrel gardeners, winter impurities, and container damage from the destruction of freeze/thaw weather cycles. Note: all water from rain and snow on the top leaches out the water soluble nutrients from the compost and garden soil like water passing through a tea bag or a coffee filter; a cover prevents this.
  • In spring, as soon as the soil is workable, uncover the container, and plant.  Tip: a poly tunnel will heat the soil and help you get an earlier start.

Portable Containers

(Photo:  Fabric bags as soft sided containers)

  • Empty the containers on to a tarp or cleanable surface. Note: containers left outside and full of potting mix over winter may take on water, freeze and tear the bag or burst the pot (I have seen resin, plastic, and terracotta pots damaged this way). If the container survives, the contents will be like cement and make emptying the pot and raking out the roots a lot more difficult. If you must leave the container outside over winter, cover it, and thoroughly wet the pot and contents before emptying it in spring.  Tip: a serrated trowel really helps.
  • Rake out roots and stubble and compost these.  Tip: cut the root ball into manageable pieces with a sharp serrated trowel and use a claw cultivator to loosen soil about the roots.
  • Store potting mix in a dry bag or a covered large container outside over winter. Do not re-use the potting mix if diseases were present. Tip: We have a lot of pots so we mix the soils and store ours in garbage bags, tubs, or unused composter.
  • Clean containers with a stiff brush, soap and water, rinse, dry, and store them for the winter. Hot soapy water will destroy diseases but if you need more, use vinegar, diluted bleach, or hand sanitizer.  Tip: vinegar will remove salt from the rims of pots, your winter boots and car floor mats.  Caution: no soap, vinegar or bleach in wood or terracotta. Use only water and a stiff brush.
  • In spring, fill containers with a mix of 2/3 new or reclaimed potting mix and 1/3 screened compost or composted manure, and plant.

Special Note on Terracotta Containers

(Photo:  Salt stains on a Terracotta pot)

Terracotta is porous so water and fertilizer salts exit the pot through the bottom and the sides (salts appear white on the sides and rims of pots – and also on the top of the soil). Unfortunately, soap, vinegar, bleach or hand sanitizer will penetrate the walls of the pot and do harm to next season’s plants. If the salt stains distress you, soak the entire pot and then try a stiff brush. I leave salts on the pot but if they are on the potting mix, I rake them in and water the soil to redistribute them – after 2 seasons with salt crusts, change the potting mix or at least change a significant amount of it. Tip: compost will not reduce the salts.

Wet terracotta pots will be destroyed by winter freezing as water in the pot walls will freeze, expand, and rupture the pot – the pot will disintegrate in bits & pieces. Pots glazed on the inside or the outside hold water but the unglazed clay will contain moisture and may be destroyed over winter.

  • Dry brush or water spray and dry all unglazed terracotta and then store them sheltered and dry – which may mean indoors. A moist pot in a shed is not safe from freezing.

Cold Frames

(Photo:  Our cold frame May 2nd — the empty spots are from April harvests)

  • Rake-out and compost all plant parts.
  • Add 4 cm of compost or composted farm animal manure and rake-in.
  • Plant cool-weather crops (lettuce, cilantro, spinach, kale, etc.).
  • Cover and insulate. Note: if you use plastic sheeting instead of glass or Plexiglas, add a frame or hoops to support the plastic sheet under the snow load. Tip: Insulating the cold frame through the winter helps. We use black garbage bags of shredded leaves to surround the cold frame; the bags break the cold winds and the black plastic heats quickly with the sun. In spring, these leaves are spread elsewhere in our gardens as mulch or as ground cover for permanent foot paths. Excellent for weed control and they add value to your soil!
  • In spring, monitor temperatures and reduce the heat! Our cold frame has reached 30+ degrees C in April – don’t cook your cool weather plants!

Postponing the labour and abandoning gardens to the ravages of winter can increase spring preparation efforts. Putting gardens to bed should save some time and labour in the spring as well as add nutrients to the life in the soil. May your next gardening season be better than the last one!

Happy gardening whatever you choose to do!