We Need Help With Our Outdoor Veggie Garden

[Bisharoo]

Hello everyone! I have a 15 X 21 vegetable garden in my back yard. I was wondering about outdoor gardens with tomatos, peppers, etc. When do you guys pull it up and get it ready for winter? We had our first good frost this morning, and my plants are looking wilty. I picked most of my veggies a couple of days ago in preperation for the coming frost, but do you guys pull up your plants now, or what? I am going to plow them under I think. I am adding rock dust and alfalfa also. Do you think I should wait until spring to add or do it soon? I am going to let my compost go until spring to add it as well I think. What do you guys do? How do you get your garden ready for winter and in the best shape for next year?

Thanks for any help or suggestions you may have.

Peace...

[CaveatLector]

It's about time to turn it under. I've noticed that with the reduced daylight and temps that nothing tends to grow even if the plant is still living. What I usually do is dig a deep and wide furrow in the middle of my garden and try to stuff all of my raked-up leaves into it. If it ends up being heaping piles you can throw a little dirt on top to help keep them from blowing away. Let it sit a few weeks and as they get wet from rain they tend to self-tamp so there is less air in the pile. When they're packed down a bit I then cover them with dirt. By the following spring most of the leaves have decompsed and when I plow up the plot the soil is nice and renewed. The bit of leaves that hasn't yet decomposed helps make the soil lighter and more aerated. Easy way to get rid of the leaves while keeping the garden organic.

[mibrains]

awesome to see you posting bish...

 

i miss seeing your pictures around here....

 

great questions i don't have a garden outdoors this year but i am in the learning phase and i am very interested in this topic....

 

compost and living soil is awesome... i like true organics

I've been reading but i have no practical knowledge as of yet...

soon tho i hope to have my own veg garden outdoors...

 

have a great day !

[Bisharoo]

Well thanks for the quick replies CL and MB! That is good to know about the time to let them go, and about the leaves. I am very interested in using everything I can for next year, and I have just started using them last year and am looking forward to having them in there again as I could really tell a big improvement. All organic as much as is possible (I can't stop them from spraying and microwaving and polluting me, but at least I don't put extra poisons in my food) is the best way to go, and I am living proof that many health issues can be addressed by just eating right! Thanks so much!

Peace...

[Bisharoo]

Manure, I was going to ask about that. I never get any grass clippings as I always mulch and never have any extra, it seems. You add it now, in the fall, so it breaks down some by spring? Alfalfa won't add a good nutrient base? That's what I was going for there. Thanks Zap!

Peace...

[CaveatLector]

Caveat Lector's approach is solid and similar to mine, I also save my grass clippings all season and mix them in prior to the winter, along with some manure. The rock dust could be a good idea, but if you are plowing under all your green, I don't think you will notice the addition of alfalfa. It is definitely that time of year.

I like the idea of putting grass clippings in the garden. I usually just use a mulching mower blade and don't collect clippings. But when I miss mowing a week or 2 and the grass is pretty high I do like to collect the clippings so there are not piles on the lawn or sidewalk. My question is whether you end up with a lot of grass growing in the garden as a result of seeds, or is that not a problem?

[Bisharoo]

Not a lot of grass, but I pull a lot of weeds, many, many, many weeds, and some grass, but I don't have a problem with grass per se'. I looked up online about adding weeds to compost and mulch and they say it is OK, so I would have no issues with grass I think if I were to ever get some to add to the garden.

[Bisharoo]

Yep, it might be best to compost all weed seeds if possible until they break down and cook in there, rather than just till them under. I can't wait until next year already! What a great year of eating healthy, nutritious veggies, but I know it can be even better next year. Thanks for your help again Zap!

Peace...

[t-pain]

i'm leaving the potatoes out until it freezes i think.

tomatoes i guess i'll have to collect if we're going to get more frosts

everything else i wait until it dies, not sure what to do with my squashes. just let them be until the vine dies completely.

 

peppers are warm-weather and are probably dead already if outside.

[Bisharoo]

Thanks for all who have helped over the past few years.  Happy gardening everyone!

Peace...