I just pulled all my veggies from my first vegetable garden this weekend. I am not sure what the next step should be in order to get the most production next year. I have searched online and in the forums and have found differing info on tilling now, adding compost/manure/mulch, and cover crops. I have a 150sqft. in ground garden. My idea was to add some compost (1"-2") worth and till next weekend. I was then going to cover the garden with a tarp to kill the weeds over the winter. I don't think a cover crop will do too well in Wisconsin. I assume it is more beneficial to do the tilling in the fall than the spring. However, I am not sure what would be the most beneficial thing(s) to add before tilling. If I do add compost/manure/mulch what is a cheap way of procuring those items? I bought some cheap leaf mulch in the spring, but that is not an option now.
Any advice would be appreciated.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Agree with Mg. If you are going to till, I think fall is better time than spring to do it. So put down your compost and manure, till it in, then cover with mulch and let it rest. Don't till it again in the spring, just loosen the soil in your planting rows a little bit, with fork/how.
But besides the fact that many of us think that tilling isn't good for your soil, 10x15' of garden is hardly room enough to turn a tiller around in. Just turn stuff under with a shovel or even a trowel.
I garden mostly all in beds, some of them raised beds. On my city lot, I have probably over 500 sq ft in 13 different beds. My main garden implement is my trowel. It's not mostly vegetables, lots is flowers and herbs, so it doesn't all need the same kind of care, but still. ...
But besides the fact that many of us think that tilling isn't good for your soil, 10x15' of garden is hardly room enough to turn a tiller around in. Just turn stuff under with a shovel or even a trowel.
I garden mostly all in beds, some of them raised beds. On my city lot, I have probably over 500 sq ft in 13 different beds. My main garden implement is my trowel. It's not mostly vegetables, lots is flowers and herbs, so it doesn't all need the same kind of care, but still. ...
Hi there,
I just moved into a house in northern Colorado and the previous owner had a vegetable gardening area set up and I haven't a clue as to how to prepare it for the winter (1st time home owner & 1st time gardener!).
The previous owner had lots of veggies planted with a black tarp overtop of areas that did not have vegetables & then on top of all that they threw down a layer of grass clippings. Underneath all that they have a drip irrigation system running zig-zag in the planting area that you can see once you lift up the tarp.
I know that I need to rip out all the veggies but I'm not sure if I should also take off the grass clippings & the tarp? And also, do I throw on a layer of mulch? Can I wait until spring to put down a layer of compost or should I do that now before the snow covers it? I would appreciate any insight into this matter!
Thanks so much!
Ling
I just moved into a house in northern Colorado and the previous owner had a vegetable gardening area set up and I haven't a clue as to how to prepare it for the winter (1st time home owner & 1st time gardener!).
The previous owner had lots of veggies planted with a black tarp overtop of areas that did not have vegetables & then on top of all that they threw down a layer of grass clippings. Underneath all that they have a drip irrigation system running zig-zag in the planting area that you can see once you lift up the tarp.
I know that I need to rip out all the veggies but I'm not sure if I should also take off the grass clippings & the tarp? And also, do I throw on a layer of mulch? Can I wait until spring to put down a layer of compost or should I do that now before the snow covers it? I would appreciate any insight into this matter!
Thanks so much!
Ling
ling: First off, welcome to the forum. Congrats on buying your first home and it sounds like you found a nice starting garden if the previous home owner cared enough for plastic and irrigation.
I don't have any real experience with this but from my reading...the tarp, or plastic covering, was to keep weeds down so this can be carefully removed to possibly be used next year along with the irrigation system. So push the grass (which was used as mulch over the plastic) to the side, remove the plastic, then keep the grass on the garden to break down and to add organic material to the garden. I would try to add some manure, compost, etc to the garden this year still. You can till it in if you like (before the ground freezes of course) but don't till when the ground is wet. The dirt should clump up but break apart with a little squeeze; that's a good time to till. If you cant till just layer the organic material on and wait until next spring.
Being a first time gardener I would take this winter to read, plan, and read some more! Good luck!
Also, you probably should have started your own thread for this discussion. No worries though!
I don't have any real experience with this but from my reading...the tarp, or plastic covering, was to keep weeds down so this can be carefully removed to possibly be used next year along with the irrigation system. So push the grass (which was used as mulch over the plastic) to the side, remove the plastic, then keep the grass on the garden to break down and to add organic material to the garden. I would try to add some manure, compost, etc to the garden this year still. You can till it in if you like (before the ground freezes of course) but don't till when the ground is wet. The dirt should clump up but break apart with a little squeeze; that's a good time to till. If you cant till just layer the organic material on and wait until next spring.
Being a first time gardener I would take this winter to read, plan, and read some more! Good luck!
Also, you probably should have started your own thread for this discussion. No worries though!
Hi SOB, thanks for your reply! Sorry about the not-starting-a-new-forum-thread thing. I'm used to continuing a thread of the same topic in another forum I participate in. (And sorry to the other members who are getting notifications about this old thread!)
Thank you for your advice though! I will definitely be heeding your advice to read up on gardening this winter as I have so so much to learn being such a newbie. I'll need to comb through this forum too as I've found that forums usually have the best advice =)
Thank you for your advice though! I will definitely be heeding your advice to read up on gardening this winter as I have so so much to learn being such a newbie. I'll need to comb through this forum too as I've found that forums usually have the best advice =)
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john gault
- Green Thumb
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- Location: Atlantic Beach, Fl. (USDA Hardiness Zone 9a)
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Here is what works for me: In the fall, add amendments, leaves, manure compost, then till it all in along with the remains of this years garden, including standing corn stalks. In the early spring, just go plant the early crops. Later about the first week of may, I will till very shallow before planting the warm weather crops. This disrupts the weeds that have started to grow.
Nothing is going to grow in winter here. The garden will be covered with snow. I suppose it will be snow covered there in Wisconsin too?
I am sorry, I cannot suggest where to get soil amendments there in your area. Leaves are good and should be readily available there.
If you put your organic amendments on in the fall, the microbes and worms will have months to work on it and break it down into compounds the plants can use. Have a great garden.
Edit to add: Welcome to the new members.
Nothing is going to grow in winter here. The garden will be covered with snow. I suppose it will be snow covered there in Wisconsin too?
I am sorry, I cannot suggest where to get soil amendments there in your area. Leaves are good and should be readily available there.
If you put your organic amendments on in the fall, the microbes and worms will have months to work on it and break it down into compounds the plants can use. Have a great garden.
Edit to add: Welcome to the new members.