Sweet Winter Winds
Garden Week Twenty-Three 9/18/2018
Sweet Winter Winds
What are you creating with your plumes? Share your recipes and pictures with the Morning News and have your photo featured on the Garden page.
As wind the picks up, the smell of winter is in the air. Time to pull out the sweaters, make sure the wood is cut, clean the yard, and put away the summer tools. The harvest is still in full swing, but we can start thinking and planning for the winter and spring garden activities. Yeah, you thought that once the harvest is done, the work is done. Well, there is much we can do to care for the Soil, Plants, and Beneficial’s throughout the fall, winter and early spring.
Caring for the soil:
The top layer of is the most nutrient and important layer to consider through the winter. Wind, rain, snow all can contribute to a loss of nutrients. As the harvest comes to a close, it is time to consider what has been planted and what will be planted in the beds next year. Remember crops rotations will help to prevent disease and pest troubles each year.
For those beds which had heavy feeders like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplants, onions and anything from the cabbage family, a cover crop like Winter pea or Hairy vetch can help to restore nitrogen and add organic matter to next year’s garden. If you would like more localized advice on what cover crops you should use, check our Grimm Growers Warehouse Corp. here in Blackfoot, ID. They have been very helpful and cost effective.
For those beds which had light feeders like carrots, salad greens, beans or peas; you can either clear and turn over the soil or mulch and work in the crop debris. Then cover the beds with an organic mulch, plastic cover or tarp to prevent the top layer of soil from blowing or washing away. Covering with a plastic cover or tarp will have the added benefit of keeping the soil dry and give you earlier spring access to these beds.
Garden Cleanup:
Annual weeds which have survived and gone to seed should be carefully disposed of. Cover the seed heads with a bag and snip the stem to limit seed dispersal. Always throw these into the garbage or burn them, do not put them in the compost pile.
For any beds where disease or pests became a problem, completely remove the plants, roots and all. Dispose of the entire plant in the garbage, never the compost pile. Where possible, it is recommended to burn these items.
Because heavy feeders, mentioned above are prone to diseases like blight, wilt, and fungal diseases, it is recommended to only compost the healthy plants debris into live compost piles. If you do not have a live compost pile, completely remove these plants as well and dispose of them in the garbage or burn them.
Sage seeds and about ready to save and store.
Tools can be cleaned, sharpened and stored for spring use. Hoses and other water features can be drained, cleaned and stored for winter.
Overwintering:
Many beneficial insects and animals will overwinter right in the garden. We can help them to succeed through the winter months by providing winter shelter, food and water. Birds migrating trough will stop and eat seeds of perennials, cover crops and weeds (should you be so kind). You may also consider leaving seeds available for birds which migrate through SE Idaho. Boards, rocks, cardboard or the like can give shelter to ground beetles, local bees and other bugs. Making water available in the garden, right up until it freezes, will benefit all the critters whether staying or passing through.
Cover or protect overwinter plants with mulch, row cover or cold frame to extend to growing season of cabbage, kales, carrots, spinach and so much more!
Thin and transplant bulbs, tubers, and corms. This is also the time to start planting pansies, early spring bulbs, hardy perennials and trees.
Seeds:
Many plants have proven to be good producers, sturdy and healthy. Consider saving a few of the seeds from these plants to use in next year’s garden. Seed storage saving techniques can vary, but in general, these simple steps will suffice. Cut a piece of terry cloth or similar material large enough to loosely cover the seed head allowing room for the pollen to move around and to not damage the seeds. At the stem and inside the cloth place cotton or gauze to catch the seeds. As the plant wither and dries, the seeds will fall loose into the bag. When the stem appears to be nearly dry, cut and either hang or set on an elevated screen to completely dry.
For seed storage techniques, check out “The Plant Propagator’s Bible” by Miranda Smith, where she delves into care, storage and disease prevention techniques. I really enjoying this book as she provides many pictures and illustrations along with detailed explanations and directions.
I know this seems like a lot, but a little bit of work in the fall can make life easier in the spring!
