Special Sections

4 | Fall Home & Garden | September 2020 Preparing Your Garden for Winter (Green Shoot) A fter enjoying the beautiful booms and harvesting the fruits and vegetables you labored over throughout the summer, it's important to clean out the garden. Leaving behind decaying plants or roots can cause a breeding ground for pests and bacteria that can harm your plants next year. Fall is the perfect time for a garden overhaul because waiting for winter will introduce a harder ground and frost that can cripple a plant's chances of returning. From maintaining your gardening tools to preparing land for next season's planting, readying a garden during autumn will provide an advantage for a successful harvest when the temperatures rise again. CLEAR THE GROUND First, you will want to clear the ground of anything used for last summer's harvest. This includes items you used to support your plants like trellises, tomato cages and stakes. Keep these to the side because they will require maintenance before they are stored for the year. Next, it's important to remove dormant or dead plants, fruits and vegetables. Inspect them for signs of decay or disease before adding them to your compost pile. If they are compromised, they should instead be burned or disposed of. The Morton Arboretum recommends compost should avoid diseased plants as it may spread to next year's crop. WINTER PREP Once the ground is cleared of plants, the Farmer's Almanac suggests these steps when preparing your garden for winter. Gently till the soil to remove insects who have laid claim to the garden to avoid their intrusion during spring and summer. Add a layer of compost, leaves or aged manure to create a barrier. You can improve your soil by sowing a cover crop like winter rye. If weeds have become unmanageable, cover them with black plastic or cardboard throughout the season to subdue them.

• Cover