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Garden Gate:  Over wintering the garden  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 06:22:03 AM
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When do you start doing your final winterizing of the garden? I think once the first real freeze happens is when I am going to do Most of the the work, however this week once the sun comes out I am going to dig some new flower beds. I am hoping to get to the digging while the ground is still soft from all this rain, but perhaps a day after the sun has come out so I it isn't completely sodden.
I am going to lasagna garden inside the greenhouse to kill off the grass/weeds/etc and to build up the soil which is quite clayey here. I have a compost heap, but it is still rather "young" so while I will incorporate some of it into the lasagna garden, I am afraid a lot of the layers will have to come from other sources. I might actually use all of my compost heap so as to have it compost faster through the winter (more heat in the greenhouse.
One of the first things I am going to lay down is a lot of horse manure. That is going to go right on top of the initial paper barrier. Then I am going to layer with compost, more manure and more newspaper. I want to layer it about a foot deep if not more so I hav the illusion of raised beds in the green house next year.
I am also going to dig up the few herbs that I have and re-plant after laying down cardboard, newspaper and then some sort of heavy mulch. I will cut out little squares to re-plant through, but my beds are so infested with weeds...they need help!
I am really hoping to damage the weeds right now and have them use up all the stored energy that would help them regenerate in spring. Hopefully if I get them a bit more in control before winter, I will have less of a battle next year. Though I know this is really an on going process that I probably won't win before we move.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 06:50:38 AM
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As soon as the rains come regularly and everything is pretty much done in the garden I start pulling dead stuff and doing the lasagna thing with leaves, veggies that have gone bad etc. Then I top it off with some steer manure and leave it for the winter. We are having a warm dry spell right now, so this probably won't start happening until mid to end of October.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 06:52:36 AM
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As soon as those darn tomatos of mine ripen I will pick them, fence off the carrotts and brussel sprouts and let the chickens in! When they have done their job my winterizing will start. Just waiting on those darn tomatos!
Lillian |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 07:18:24 AM
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| I am starting now. I harvested and trimed herbs and getting beds clean in the herb/kitchen garden. I have worked on the beds in the main garden where I'll be planting potatoes next spring. We usually plant potatoes before we can get in to work the ground so getting it done now is going to be a big head start. Have the garlic bed ready to plant. The garlic will go in any time now. They will sprout and then I'll mulch them with straw for the winter. A lot going on outside and I am still trying to can tomatoes and apples. |
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LindaEllen
True Blue Farmgirl
275 Posts
Linda
Missouri
USA
275 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 07:24:25 AM
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Alee, looks like you are doing a great job on your garden and planning.
My best plants where grown using the cardboard method. And the big earthworms that are under the layers of cardboard and compost. I want to do away with tilling someday by using this type of raised bed method.
I love to clean out my garden in the fall, tidy things up. Build more beds and work that compost. Plans to keep the garden still going with cold crops as long as I can. I hope my second crop of bush beans makes it before heavy frost/freeze. Oh and gather bags of leaves from the curbs of those that just toss em to the landfill.
Leaves take a time to break down, but DH runs a mower through them and they piece up nicly. I use the leaves in the Hen Den too and great for mulching.
My new thing is Winter Sowing, start seeds in milkjugs, I use the plastic coffee cans, any type of container with holes for drainage and air vents. I put mine out in late Dec. last year. Put outside and do nothing. Just wait tell you see green in the wintertime.
Google Winter Sowing and you will be amazed how this works. I even WS tomato plants that out did the ones that I started from seeds inside under grow lights.
I am sold on Winter Sowing. I put out 170+ containers that had many plants inside each one. A 100% growth result on the new seeds and 50% on old seeds that were over 5 years old.
Plus You get to garden almost all year long 
Happy Fall Gardening
tc linda
Farmgirl #343
Locust Trail Homestead
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/walkabout/
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 08:33:11 AM
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Alee,
So far our weather is holding. I have been debating weather to start pulling green tomatoes for green tomato relish or wait a little longer.. I am making a "cold frame" and planting my second garden (my winter lettuce.. between lettuce and sprouting that will keep us going for salad fixings during the winter months.I have felt so spoiled by having all the herbs and salad garden all summer.. Just run out back and grab a bowl...This is my first attempt at the cold frame any helpful hints?
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/
"Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise. ~Michael P. Garafalo
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 8:17:09 PM
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My husband made my cold frames out of old french doors. He made a wood frame, then the doors lay on top of the frame. I lift it up to get inside then lower it when I'm done. I have to be carefull when it gets hot, things have burned in just hours. I live in So Calif, so I really don't need one, but this winter I'll get a jump on my seedlings.
Happiness is homemade... |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 05:48:02 AM
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I usually start around mid Sept after our first frost but, this year our first frost came Aug. 22. So, I have pulled up all the cuke plants as I have all the pickles and relish I need. I cut back the pumpkin, watermelon and cantaloupe vines so they concentrate only on what is already there. I pulled up the zuke plants for the same reason as the cukes. I've taken cuttings of my tomato plants for next year but continue to baby them along with the peppers as I have not gotten any yet. I have had to cover the 4 beds I have left with blankets and one big tarp with a heater under it to keep them warm enough at night. If I can get away with this until mid-October, I should have plenty of tomatoes and peppers by then. I have new lettuce and spinach growing and the peas and carrots are still going. This weekend, I will pull up the corn plants and use them for fall display and dig up the potatoes. The rest of my fall cleanup will just have to wait until the tomatoes, peppers, melons and pumpkins freeze. Actually, the pumpkins and watermelon are almost done. I only have 2 green pumpkins left and 1 watermelon which might be ready this weekend anyway. The cantaloupe are coming along and are netting up nicely. I have a feeling it's going to be pretty cold by mid-October this year.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Garden Gate: Over wintering the garden |
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Over wintering the garden
