I DO NOT have a green thumb in the least. Every houseplant that I have ever owned has struggled for survival, albeit my somewhat timely care. When I decided to grow an organic veggie garden this year, I was very concerned that just by my mere involvement that it would become an overgrown jungle of weeds. Oh contrare! With careful planning, I was able to start and maintain a delightfully plenteous patch in our yard. I will save discussing the success of this endeavor until springtime, so that you can all mimic my efforts and produce your own 50-75 lbs of tomatoes from 2 plants! I regret to even say it, but the upside of global warming in the Northeast region of the country has been red,ripe tomatoes on your dinner table on Halloween and beyond. This is clearly an anomaly, but I can't deny the sheer joy of harvesting this late in the season. How selfish and un- green of me! Anyway, let's focus on how to properly "close down" the garden until 2008.
After consulting with several experts in the field, I have learned that you need to complete the following steps:
1. Once the temperature has dipped to 30-low 40 degrees F. in the evening, it is time to remove all remaining annuals or weeds that are dying, dead or just limp. This weekend, we removed our peppers, zucchinis and cherry tomatoes, but we left the eggplants and a few tomatoes plants in case of a miracle. Some plants like eggplant,beets, and carrots are hardy and can survive a few weeks later in the season, but with climate change, all the rules are out the window.
2. Rototill or turn over the soil to aerate and mix in any remaining organic matter. This will save time in the spring as well as lessen the effects of erosion. An alternative is to plant a cover crop to protect soil, like rye, buckwheat or winter wheat. Although some experts might adhere to this approach, I dismiss this method as simply too much work for busy people like us.
3.Treat the soil to a 1-2 inch layer of organic mulch, such as dried leaves, pine needles, shredded bark, or pine boughs. This will provide an adequate layer of protection, break down nicely in the soil and provide nutrients for next year.
4. For herbs, cover with mulch after the first major frost. This should be a few weeks after Step 3.
That's it. Considering the bounty that will follow next year, its 60 minutes well spent. Read more!
I DO NOT have a green thumb in the least. Every houseplant that I have ever owned has struggled for survival, albeit my somewhat timely care. When I decided to grow an organic veggie garden this year, I was very concerned that just by my mere involvement that it would become an overgrown jungle of weeds. Oh contrare! With careful planning, I was able to start and maintain a delightfully plenteous patch in our yard. I will save discussing the success of this endeavor until springtime, so that you can all mimic my efforts and produce your own 50-75 lbs of tomatoes from 2 plants! I regret to even say it, but the upside of global warming in the Northeast region of the country has been red,ripe tomatoes on your dinner table on Halloween and beyond. This is clearly an anomaly, but I can't deny the sheer joy of harvesting this late in the season. How selfish and un- green of me! Anyway, let's focus on how to properly "close down" the garden until 2008.
After consulting with several experts in the field, I have learned that you need to complete the following steps:
1. Once the temperature has dipped to 30-low 40 degrees F. in the evening, it is time to remove all remaining annuals or weeds that are dying, dead or just limp. This weekend, we removed our peppers, zucchinis and cherry tomatoes, but we left the eggplants and a few tomatoes plants in case of a miracle. Some plants like eggplant,beets, and carrots are hardy and can survive a few weeks later in the season, but with climate change, all the rules are out the window.
2. Rototill or turn over the soil to aerate and mix in any remaining organic matter. This will save time in the spring as well as lessen the effects of erosion. An alternative is to plant a cover crop to protect soil, like rye, buckwheat or winter wheat. Although some experts might adhere to this approach, I dismiss this method as simply too much work for busy people like us.
3.Treat the soil to a 1-2 inch layer of organic mulch, such as dried leaves, pine needles, shredded bark, or pine boughs. This will provide an adequate layer of protection, break down nicely in the soil and provide nutrients for next year.
4. For herbs, cover with mulch after the first major frost. This should be a few weeks after Step 3.
That's it. Considering the bounty that will follow next year, its 60 minutes well spent. Read more!