What work needs to be done in the vegetable garden before the onset of winter and how should you care for vegetable beds in late autumn? This is how you can prepare soil and plants for winter!
To make gardening easier in spring, it would make sense to take some protection and care measures in November. One of the most important concerns for gardeners is timely soil preparation so that next season's cultivation can take place without obstacles. This includes digging up the top layer of soil with a spade, as well as applying fertilizers and mulching. In addition, cleaning the garden area from plant debris and harvesting late-ripening vegetables is an equally important step. What else needs to be taken into account and how can such autumnal tasks be carried out correctly? You can find out more about it below.
How to care for vegetable beds in late autumn and prepare them for winter?
So that you can improve your garden soil for future crops, you should first remove what is left during this periodPick cabbage and root vegetables. However, if there is already frost, you should wait until it subsides so that it does not damage your crop. If temperatures do not increase, you can cut crops such as lettuce and brassicas and store them in a cool place so that they can thaw gradually. Here are a few more factors to consider when caring for plants:
- Despite their cold resistance, do not delay removing onions and leeks any longer, as low temperatures for extended periods can damage the stems. This also applies to root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, beets and celery, as the soil surface freezes along with parts of the root crops that are in the freezing zone.
- Loosen the garden soil to overwinter lettuce plants if necessary, although you should also water them occasionally during dry periods. You can care for planted vegetable beds in late fall by also creating a windbreak in the garden. This is particularly recommended for beds that are on the north side.
- Plant spring onions in unheated greenhouses by mid-November to look forward to a good harvest in March. As far as garlic is concerned, heated greenhouses in the garden area are suitable for this.
- Pre-winter towards the end of November is suitable for sowing garden peas, lettuce, parsley, carrots and broad beans for spring production in open areas.
- You can also accelerate the growth of some types of plants before the onset of winter after the season by covering the beds with garden fleece. There are also biodegradable options.
- Also trim wilted or dead garden plants before the winter season and remove damaged plant parts so that they do not affect plant growth.
Tips for proper floor care in November
Enriching the garden soil with nutrients before winter can also be crucial for future plant cultivation. Chopped autumn leaves or organic and grass clippings are suitable for this.
- First and foremost, depending on the type of soil, it is important to prevent clay soil from forming by digging up and loosening the surface with a spade. This makes the top layer permeable and makes it easier for you to identify and remove any snail eggs or rooted weeds.
- There is also the very practical and sustainable option of mulching the soil surface by using autumn leaves. The organic protective layer slowly decays during the winter period and protects the garden soil from compaction and freezing.
- They should also be unusedMaintain vegetable beds in late autumnand prepare for the cold season by, for example, carrying out green manure. Mineral and organic fertilizers such as nutrient-rich compost and rotted farmyard manure are also suitable for this.
Reuse plant residues and use them to care for vegetable beds in late autumn
- The period between leaf fall and cold snap is the perfect time to collect garden waste such as autumn leaves, branches and bushes. You can also distribute these on the beds before the onset of winter and provide shelter for wild animals such as hedgehogs or useful insects.
- It is also possible to add plant residues such as clippings and autumn leaves to the compost heap to improve the garden soil with humus. Worms and microorganisms then contribute to composting, converting the plant material into nutrient-rich mass.
- However, also take into account that not all tree and plant species are suitable for compost, with some tree leaves being poor in nutrients.
- Choose a partially shaded garden area for your compost heap so that you receive valuable humus in spring and can then use it to tend to your vegetable beds in late autumn.
Also read:Make mulch yourself: Helpful tips on how you can make mulch easily!
