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Posted on Tue, Oct. 27, 2009 10:15 PM
Begin planning for next year’s vegetable garden now
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Regardless of the successes or failures of this year’s garden, the best way to help ensure that next year’s garden is successful is to begin preparing for it as soon as possible. For those gardeners who are eager for the end of the season when they can forget about their gardens, this may not be welcome news.
It’s not intuitive to think that the end of the season is when we should begin thinking about next year’s garden, but the payoff for fall planning and preparation is that it can make spring tasks much simpler.
First, when production from this year’s plants ceases, it is a good idea to remove decaying plants, including unharvested vegetables, from the garden. Decaying plant material and unharvested vegetables can serve as a source for disease and and/or habitat for insect pests if left in the garden.
Composting these materials is typically the best option, but in larger gardens, it may be easier to incorporate them into the soil. By tilling in the crop residues, you can reduce overwintering disease inoculum and insect pest habitat almost as well as by removing them from the garden.
Next, fall is a good time to test the soil in the garden. Soil testing is necessary to ensure that sufficient levels of organic matter and nutrients are present. Additionally, soil testing reveals soil pH, and when checked in the fall, there is adequate time to adjust the pH before planting next year.
Finally, because the garden is free of vegetation, it may be a good idea to consider a winter cover crop. Cover crops serve many purposes, but they may be particularly important to consider because they conserve soil and nutrients, contribute organic matter, and disrupt repetitive vegetable cropping cycles which helps to reduce pest populations. An alternative to cover crops is to apply a two-inch-thick layer of mulch or compost to the garden to help prevent erosion.
After these tasks are completed, you can rest assured that the garden will be ready to go in the spring with little work. This will leave plenty of time to properly plan for next year’s garden.
For more information on fall preparation of the vegetable garden, or for specific recommendations on winter cover crops, call your local extension office or visit www.extension.missouri.edu.
Marlin Bates is a horticulture specialist at the University of Missouri Extension. Reach him at 816-270-2141 or batesma@missouri.edu.
Posted on Tue, Oct. 27, 2009 10:15 PM
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