Winterizing the Garden

I was able to get the garden cleared out and winterized 10 minutes before a rainstorm.  After it began, it poured on us more than an inch and a half of water in a matter of a few hours. Whew!  I was so glad I got up early on Saturday.  I didn't even know it was supposed to rain.  :P

I first cleared all of the vegetation out of the boxes.  My cherry tomato plant still had several green tomatoes on it so when I pulled it out of the ground I left it in the cage.  I will turn it upside down and store it in the garage where it is fairly warm for now.  The upside down plant will send the energy it has stored in the leafy green areas to the tomatoes and they will ripen.  It will take about 10 days to 2 weeks.

Next I add a bag of steer manure to each garden box and mixed it in with the garden soil.  The soil is a mix of compost, peat moss and vermiculite.  It is a great, airy, light soil for vegetables.  The recipe comes from the square foot gardening guru.  It is really good for growing vegetables and flowers and only needs to be fertilized each year with compost or manure.  The steer manure is very "hot" and will burn tender plants and seeds if not given enough time to sit.  It should be applied at least 6 weeks before planting.  By putting it in the soil now I won't have to worry about it being too strong when I plant again in the spring as it will have all winter to sit and mellow.  After mixing in the manure I recoiled the drip hoses over each box.  When they heat up in the sun they become very pliable and in the winter they get cold and stiff.  I want them to retain the circular shape I have coiled them in so it is just easier to leave them in the boxes to hold that shape.

The final step was to staple heavy, clear plastic over each bed.  The soil is so light that it dries out very easily.  We get some pretty high winds and in past years I have felt like the garden boxes were pretty low by spring.  Hopefully the plastic will help keep the soil where it belongs.  I cut a 6- inch slit in the top of each of the plastic pieces to allow for a little air circulation and water drainage.

The strawberries are still producing so I will take care of them in a week or two.  They are a little different.  I will cut them back to the crowns and then add a layer of mulch over the top.  The herbs stay the way they are!  Some are perennial and will come back, others are annual and I will have to replant, and a few will actually survive the winter as is.  Good night garden!  See you next spring! :)