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Garden Gate:  Winter prep?  |
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elah
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Emily
SW
Michigan
USA
349 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 08 2007 : 05:59:16 AM
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I'm new to the northern gardening thing. What should I be doing now to my garden so that I will have a nice garden in the spring. I do have asparagus and winter onions. Is there anything special for them? Do you just leave your compost piles be in the winter? What do you do with your kitchen compost items in the winter? Just trek through the snow to get to the pile? Should I be mulching over spring bulbs? If so do I uncover them in the spring?
I'm really green when it comes to this part of gardening. We just moved to Michigan in late February so I have not had to deal with the winter prepping stuff. There was already a couple feet of snow on the ground when we got here!
Thanks!
Emily |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4738 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4738 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2007 : 7:35:56 PM
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Welcome to the Midwest Emily. I live just southwest of Chicago. We've been super warm here, so I haven't begun preparing for winter yet. Once we do get a frost, I'll clear out all the annuals that got zapped. I put them in my compost heap & every once in awhile, we go out there & turn it over a bit. Once you've had a few frosts, it's a good idea to mound up roses and mulch over perennials. It's always a good idea to put mulch over all your beds. Most of it will break down by spring time. I don't use kitchen garbage in my compost heap, don't want to attract any little furry critters if I can help it. I'm not sure what to do about asparagus & onions, maybe someone else can help you with that.
Enjoy your autumn!
Dawn in IL |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2007 : 8:35:19 PM
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I've been pulling out the vegetation from my garden so I can take up my landscape fabric. If we have good enough weather I'm going to ask DH to till the garden to disturb any cocoons or grubs that might have made a home under the fabric and are planning to ambush my crops next year. If my compost is ready, I'll go ahead and spread some in or on top after he tills. I'm hoping that removing the old vegetation will also cut down on fungal and viral diseases that might be lurking in the plants. I'll put them in the "new" compost pile so that the heat from the pile will "sterilize" them.
Some people plant a cover crop like rye or vetch. I haven't done that yet but it's probably a good idea, to add nitrogen to the soil and also hold the topsoil in place, and keep weeds from sprouting.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Garden Gate: Winter prep? |
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Winter prep?
