Written by: Melody Davis, Colorado Master Gardener
When talking about goals and vision, we’re often told to think of the end and then plan in reverse to set up a functional trajectory. This is so true where gardening is concerned. The “fall” me has never completely set things up as the “spring” me would like, but some years I move more in that direction than others and let me tell you, when I do, I look back on the “fall” me and am so thankful and think about what a fine person she is to have set me up so nicely for my new gardening season!
In my ideal world, I would like to greet spring with beds that had compost applied in the fall that leeched wonderful nutrients into my soil all winter and now only need a light raking before I lovingly transplant my little bedding plants and slip my seeds into the soil. It’s my dream, but the truth is, it really can be close to my reality if I stick with my plan.
This will be far from exhaustive, but if you only implement a few of these things, it can make a considerable difference in your experience with your vegetable beds in the spring.
Diligently Deadhead
I’m a sucker for flowers in the vegetable garden. Most vegetables are some shade of green, and I love the splashes of color that flowers bring. Against all sound counsel, I once planted morning
glories all in with my pole beans and boy were they pretty! It was a sight to behold, but over ten years later I still have to weed out morning glories every year because those hard little seeds last FOREVER! So, I mostly stick with more manageable flowers like zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds. This is the only rule: watch those flower heads and snip them off and dispose of them when they are spent, or they will drop hundreds of seeds into your garden soil that will invariably have about a 99.9% germination rate! Also watch any volunteer sunflowers, dill heads, or plants going to seed and try to snip those heads before they drop seed. You can’t control this reseeding completely, but you sure can keep it under control by diligently deadheading and disposing of the seeds. WHATEVER YOU DO, be kind to your “spring” self, and don’t leave those dried flower heads in your garden over the winter!
Plant Removal
It’s great to wait to prune shrubs and bushes until late winter. Perennial beds shouldn’t be cleaned out until spring if possible unless you need to remove diseased plants, but when it comes to the vegetable garden, clean it up in the fall when your plants are finished producing. Leaves and debris should be removed leaving the garden nice and clean, especially if you’ve had a problem with pests or diseases that season. In addition, pull up any weeds that have come up to avoid them drying and dropping seed over the winter. In our area, it also helps to keep an eye on your garden over the winter; if those winds blow tumbleweeds into your garden, help them right back out again so they don’t sit and disintegrate leaving weed seeds in your garden soil.
Compost
Fall is a great time to add some compost to your vegetable beds. You can do this a whole bed at a time, or in sections. If you clear out some determinate tomatoes after they’ve yielded their last tomatoes, you can go ahead and add compost to that section while leaving alone the lettuce bed right next to it that is still producing your dinner salads. Working in smaller chunks like that can make this task much more manageable.
Soil Testing
If you want to do any soil testing in the fall, do your sampling before adding any compost so you’re correctly evaluating your existing soil. Fall testing can be so helpful in getting a good start in the spring.
Make Notes
While this year’s gardening experience is still fresh in your mind, take pen to paper or fingers to
the keyboard to make note of that vegetable variety that didn’t perform well as well as the ones that did. Make note of where crops are that might overwinter to consider when coming up with next year’s garden plan. Record any thoughts of crop rotation or new trellis ideas or even gardening concepts you’d like to try. Those thoughts that are crystal clear right now will be a bit murky by late winter so write them down now, in detail as though you are leaving notes for a stranger!
Falling Leaves
If you have leaves to rake up, bag them in large trash bags, tie them up and let them sit over the winter. As the sun heats up those bagged leaves, moisture is created, and a lovely leaf mold will grow that is great for the garden. In the spring, you can work them into your beds, adding another layer of nutrition to your soil.
The Power of 15
I have welcomed many a spring with a sigh because I left my vegetable garden a mess in the fall. Vines are dead on trellises, the plant skeletons are where they were when the first freeze came, posts and twine are still in place… Why would I do such a thing to my energetic “spring” self? Because I didn’t have the time to get the entire garden cleaned up all at once; I did nothing at all.
If you find yourself in this place, learn the power of 15. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and run to the garden and work like crazy. Do anything on the above list. When the timer goes off, leave the garden and put a reminder on your planner or a sticky note to do it again tomorrow. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in just fifteen minutes! You’ll probably check your timer to make sure you hit “start” because you’ll be getting so much done! Before you know it, that garden will be ready to put to sleep for the winter by just finding the power of 15-minute time investments.
In the early days of spring when you’re itching to hit the garden, there will be nothing holding you back, nothing to keep you from getting those cold crops in early like you’re supposed to, nothing to hinder you from getting that garden planted on time. On those wonderful spring days, you’ll look back at your “fall” self and whisper, “Thank you!”