Fall Garden Prep

Winter is fast upon us with early October snows. Now is the time to prepare your garden for the 2010 growing season. Clean up all of this years plant residue and recycle it in a compost pile for next years garden application.

Begin by tilling or spading a small area where you plan to make your compost pile. Place four to eight inches of plant residue (provides carbon) on the prepared site. Next apply one or two inch layer of local animal manure (provides nitrogen) on top of the plant residue layer. Repeat this layering process until you are out of plant residue from this years garden site.

Now it is time to till or spade your garden site for next year. For the best soil prep hand dig your garden with a garden fork or spade. Rototillers destroy the structure of your soil, but you may decide that this tool is easier for you to manage than a spade or fork because of time restraints. Try to hand till as much of your garden as you physically are able to manage with in your time limit.