Many of you are ready to kick back and take a well-earned break from the garden this time of year. However, we often get the question, “Is it worth it so far?” Many of our dedicated farmers continue to search for ways to improve their soil and productivity. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to gardening. Here are some things you may want to consider before doing any fall planting or garden cleanup.
Benefits of Fall Gardening
Fall plowing and cleaning perform two main functions:
- Removal and destruction of diseased or infested plant material.
- Preparing the soil for the next planting.
While there are some benefits to letting plant material rot right in the garden, it is best to remove any diseased material and till the bed. If your bed has been infected with a tomato fungal disease like blight or your squash plants have been covered by vine borers, cleaning is a good idea. Remove and, if possible, burn any affected material and clean the bed. Cultivation helps remove overwintering sites for other pests and can reduce the number of pests in the bed.
Some people also like to garden to prepare for their next planting. This could be garlic, perennial onions, cover crops you hope to plant in the fall, or early plants you want to get in the ground next spring. Fall-planted gardens tend to dry out and warm up quickly, allowing for planting of cool-season crops in the spring.
Of course, fall cultivation has a few downsides, and there are other ways to prepare the bed, both of which we will discuss below.
Problems with Fall Tilling
Tillage may be the right answer for some gardens, but there are a few potential downsides to consider:
- Planting disrupts soil structure and can harm insects, fungi and bacteria.
- Bare, planted soils are vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss.
- Bare soil provides little habitat for beneficial insects, fungi and bacteria.
- Bare soil, especially clay, is prone to compaction.
- Leaving the soil bare means a lost opportunity to improve the soil over the winter.
If you decide that it is better to cultivate your garden this fall, you can reduce the negative impacts. Although there is little that can be done about disturbing the soil structure, you can protect your soil after cultivation.
Many of the problems listed above occur when the soil is left bare during the winter. You can cover your beds with mulch such as old leaves and grass to combat these problems. This helps reduce compaction and erosion, provides habitat for beneficial insects, prevents soil erosion, and adds organic matter when it breaks down. As temperatures begin to rise in the spring, you can loosen the mulch to allow the bed to warm up.
While mulch is helpful, our favorite way to care for winter soil is to plant cover crops. Cover crops are easy to grow and have many benefits, from reducing erosion to improving fertility. In our latest post, Ground Season: Winter Cover Plants, we delve into their benefits and how to choose the right cover plant for your garden.
You may also want to consider leaving some areas in your yard “wild.” So many amazing creatures depend on it. For example, female fireflies lay their eggs in moist, undisturbed soil and leaves. After hatching, the larvae spend several years to several months in the soil, feeding on slugs, snails and other insects.
Other Bed Adjustments
Today, we see many organic farmers opting for no-till or semi-tillage methods. Skipping the tiller can be easier in small beds and may benefit soil structure and beneficial organisms.
To begin, remove all plant debris and any mulch from the top of the bed. Depending on your needs and setup, this material can be burned, composted, or left to break down along the way.
Then, you may want to loosen the soil. Besides a tiller, you can use a broad fork or garden fork to lift the soil without turning it. Swing the fork lightly and tilt the hand back, pulling the soil up before moving to the next spot.
In general, if you are preparing to plant immediately, we recommend adding 2 inches of finished compost to the top of the bed. Then, you can plant your garlic, Austrian winter peas, perennial onions, or other fall crops.
If your bed is brand new, you may want to stick to gardening for the first season or use a permaculture method like hulialkultur or a lasagna garden.
To farm or not to farm? Finding the right solution for your garden can be difficult. Hopefully, this information will help you make the right choices so you can protect your soil and have productive gardens this fall and next spring.
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