Fall Planting and Putting your Garden to Bed
Here at BUFCO we are winding up our 16th year, and we are as grateful for the upcoming hibernation as we are for all our loyal clients and customers who have chosen us to garden with this season. The sweet taste of rest will soon be upon us but before we can put our feet up, we need to put our gardens to bed. And thanks to our growing awareness of the need for “messier” gardens, clean up and tucking in is easier than ever. Here is a simple 10 Point Plan to help you get the most of this season and prepare your garden for next season.
1. Final harvest!
Gather the last of your peppers, beans, alliums and herbs so you can eat, dry, store, freeze, pickle and share any extra bounty with your local community.
2. “Chop and Drop”
veggie stems and leaves on the garden beds or toss in the composter but make sure that diseased plants (blight or powdery mildew) are left on the curb in yard waste bags.
3. Messy is Magic!
Leave the leaves, flower seed heads and stems to maintain food, forage and shelter for a wide variety of living creatures who will emerge next spring and contribute to the overall health of your garden.
4. Wash garden accessories
like tomato stakes and trellises with soap and water and store for next season. Clean, sharpen and oil your pruners and other tools.
5. Feed and protect your garden
with a good quality compost like Jocelyn’s Soil Booster to replenish depleted soil then cover with mulch such as leaves, straw, shredded pine bark or cedar. Put plastic collars around fruit tree stems to protect them from gnawing bunnies.
6. Plant flower bulbs
for spring blooms to provide early food for pollinators and early colour for us!
7. Plant native perennials
while the soil is still relatively warm and plants have an opportunity to establish root systems without the pressure of having to flower or produce seed.
8. Plant garlic
now for summer harvests of garlic scapes and bulbs. Avoid planting in pots as the cloves will likely rot due to freeze/thaw cycles.
9. Save potting mix in containers and pots
Feed and mulch as you would in-ground or raised bed gardens. In your garden plan for next year, remember to rotate crops. Avoid planting tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the same soil used this season, to stay one step ahead of pests and diseases.
10. Take your cues from nature
and let the birds, bees and micro-organisms do the work while you put your feet up and plan for spring.
If you follow this approach your garden will be buzzing with early spring activity, your soil will be happy and planting next year will be so much easier!
Happy Hibernating!
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