The 2023 growing season was the best ever at the Pine Plains Community Garden. We were not bothered by the excessive rain like some gardeners. We are blessed to have good draining soil and, since the garden is located in an open field, air circulation is excellent.
Now it’s early fall and your gardening days are soon coming to an end. Hopefully, you have taken advantage of the cooler weather and planted a few cool-season crops like beets, carrots, spinach and arugula. Also, if you heavily mulch these, they will over winter and be available to eat again in the early spring. To extend the growing season even longer, you may like to try a hoop tunnel or cold frame.
Pest pressure has lightened up and the humidity is gone. Gardening in the evenings has turned to gardening during the day.
Any time after mid-September is the time to decide how you would like to give your garden a rest and put it to bed. It’s important not to leave your soil bare for the winter. Ground cover protects the earthworms and the soil from the elements. As the ground cover breaks down, it enriches the soil.
First, pull all the weeds and remove all the vines and stems. When weeds get ahead of us at the Community Garden, we lay cardboard on top to die them back. That makes them easier to remove. You should leave the roots of your veggie plants in the ground, especially the legumes. Legumes pull nitrogen out of the air and store it in their roots and leaving the roots ensures that you don’t lose vital top soil that would ordinarily cling to them when pulled. When removing tomato plants be sure to pick up any dropped tomatoes, or you will have many volunteers sprouting in the spring.
Normally I would say don’t turn over the soil but we had to at the Community Garden. Unfortunately, we have jumping worms. They are invasive and destructive to the soil and must be removed. It is easy to tell them from a regular earthworm because they have a band around them (also called a saddle) and jump around when disturbed. Also, we were able to get rid of some grubs that we also found.
In past years, I have covered the ground with 6 inches of organic matter such as well rotted manure, grass clipping and/or straw and leaves. Chopped leaves decompose the best. Don’t use oak leaves unless they are chopped since they take a long time to break down.
Don’t compost the weeds if they have seeds on them. They may survive the winter and sprout more weeds when that compost is spread. Don’t use hay under any circumstances! It is loaded with seeds! This year we are experimenting with growing a cover crop of micro clover instead of mulching. It is lighter work and seeds are easily ordered through the mail. Radishes, barley, oats, hairy vetch, legumes, alfalfa and rye grass are other popular options.
The advantages of using a cover crop are that organic matter is increased and soil structure improved. A cover crop suppresses weeds, while increasing nitrogen levels, water retention and water infiltration. After weeds are pulled, (and soil is lightly turned over if looking for jumping worms), smooth out with an iron rake. You may want to add an organic fertilizer such as blood meal at this time. Carefully and evenly spread the seed by hand. Small handfuls will help ensure you don’t over seed. Then spread a thin layer of top soil and/or compost over the seed, about ¼ to ½ an inch. Too much soil over the seed will make it harder or even prevent it from sprouting. Gently tap down the soil with your foot or hoe. Then, I like to spread a light covering of chopped straw to help keep the soil moist and to mark that it has been planted. Water regularly. Leave a spot unplanted if putting in fall garlic. Clean and put away your tools.
In the spring, the cover crop is now referred to as green manure. Simply turn it over into the soil and reap the benefits. It is also acceptable to mulch in the fall and plant the cover crop in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked. But for now enjoy the break and dream about spring!
Elizabeth White grew up on a farm in Shekomeko Valley and holds a degree in agronomy from SUNY Cobleskill. She’s been an active member of the Pine Plains Community Garden since 2020.