It may be autumn, but now's the time to prepare your garden for spring

The temps are cooling, and many of our garden crops are done for the season. Our kale and peppers are still producing, and of course there are the fall root crops that grow well into the fall (carrots, beets, radishes, horseradish), but for the most part, we need to start shutting our garden down for the year. And that means preparing things for next year.

Here are some things you should be doing right now to make sure your garden (and your soil) are ready to roll next spring:

• Pick all ripe fruit and vegetables. After picking your last harvest pull all annual plants.
• Be sure to clean up fallen fruits, leaves and stems. Sanitation is important to not spread plant diseases in your garden.  Septoria leaf spot and early blight were very common on tomato plants this year in Wayne County so be especially vigilant in cleaning up your tomato plants.
• Cut back your perennial plants and herbs as needed. Some examples of perennials that may be in your garden include asparagus, berries, rhubarb, lavender, sage, thyme, mint, chives, radicchio, and sorrel.  If you are not sure how to care for your perennials (or not sure if it is a perennial ), Google that specific crop with the words “fall care.”
• Once all your plants are pulled or cut back, it is a great time to add some Living Worm Compost  to your soil so you will be one step ahead next spring. This also gives the compost time to acclimate itself to the soil– specifically the microbes, which will be adding nutrients to the soil as they break down the organic matter over the winter.
• If you have a conventional garden consider planting a cover crop to preserve your soil and add nutrients back to the soil over winter. If you have a raised bed garden cover the soil with straw or mulched leaves.
• Then sit back and know your spring cleanup will be that much easier!

If you have any questions about preparing your garden space for next year, get in touch with us. We will also be happy to come out and condition your soil for you with Living Worm Compost, peat and make sure it’s ready for winter. We will also help you prepare it for action next spring, complete with crop planning. Just shoot us an email or call 616-594-0693 or email Corey at Corey@GoodSweetEarth.com to set up a free consultation.
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Garden prep, soil maintenance, crop consultation…it’s what we do!

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