Garden - end of season

[John Mihich]

The end of the season is coming up real quick here. I built my compost bin and am starting to put things in it.

What about the plot itself. I will take the plants out - what about tilling it this fall? I know farmers rarely do some fields that way. Is there any benefit in doing it in the fall and spring. I know in the spring I hope I get some compost to blend in.

[PhilJoines]

Some plants can be left in the ground to keep growing. Check with your local Ag extension service for your location.

[fredhargis]

I've done it both ways, though for the last several years I haven't done the fall till. You can probably find arguments pro/con for whatever you do...but to be honest I haven't seen any difference. When i did the fall till, it was because I would much the entire garden in the spring after the plants were up with leaves (of which we had plenty at last place). So I'd till the spring leaves into the soil after the garden dies off, then cover it with a fresh new layer of chopped leaves to sit through the winter, of course they got tilled in the next spring. At this place we don't have leaves (never though would miss them, but I do) so i have no reason to till it in the fall.

[John Mihich]

I am going to mow my leaves and put them on the garden and till in the spring. I have heard that was a very good mulch. I have 2 large maples that I get a lot of leaves.

My garden grew very well this year - my first year - probably beginners luck. I do know that the soil that the previous owner brought in was clean top soil - about 18" deep. This stuff is really nice to work. I added a bunch of compost and peat. I have not tested it yet. I may do that next spring before putting and fertilizer on - if I do.

I have a close friend that is a state ag person; she advises farmers. She has given me lots of advice on what to do. This year it worked well. I will be seeing her in a few weeks. I'll pick her brain some more.

I enjoyed the garden this year. Didn't seem like work to me. Sort of like ww'ing I guess.

[fredhargis]

You were indeed fortunate, mine drowned (literally) in all the rain we had early in the season. The first year in about 25 that we didn't have anything. I do have a strawberry bed (separate) and we got a few berries...but other than that it was squat.

[vernonator]

fredhargis said:

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You were indeed fortunate, mine drowned (literally) in all the rain we had early in the season. The first year in about 25 that we didn't have anything. I do have a strawberry bed (separate) and we got a few berries...but other than that it was squat.

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Similar here - tomatoes usually look like trees, I have one that survived and produced out of 6 plants. Everything else it was just too wet and cold this spring and just wet wet wet all summer

[mike4244]

John,I used to farm.I would mulch your leaves and other green debris like garden plants .If you have grass clippings then layer them in the compost bin with the leaves.The pile will be a lot lower in the spring.
You could til the soil shallow in the fall,then plant a cover crop like rye for a green manure.
The problem for a gardener is in the spring when the rye is up. Very hard to turn the soil over with garden tools,even a roto-tiller. I plowed the cover crop .
Ask your friend which cover crop to plant ,if any.Myself, I just let the weeds take over the garden til spring.

[vernonator]

I turn mine over to work in any mulch that I had on top to deter weeds. Then cover it with black landscape fabric to keep the weed seeds out. We live in the country and the ground right next to my plot is alfalfa so I get ALOT of seeds blowing in all winter. When I town I just piled compost on it for the winter and tilled it in in the spring.

[Alaric]

I usually don't do a fall tilling. However I am planning on doing a fall tilling this year. I did not do a spring tilling. My tiller needed a new carb and so I just dug the rows by hand (phew, I got tired just remembering that) and planted. I have a new carb now and will be putting it on soon so I'll want to run the tiller. I have rock walkways between the garden beds and they have accumulated lots of little pieces of twigs and dried leaves, etc. I'm going to run a weed burner over the whole thing to try and clean it up, so I want the garden dirt bare.

[jasfrank]

The main benefit to fall tillage is that in the spring the soil will warm up faster and be ready for seeding earlier. That applies to black loam soil more so than other types. The soil would dry quicker in the spring also, and again would get you a nice headstart especially in a wet spring. Also by tilling in the crop waste it starts decomposition of the organic material faster, so it would be available as nutrients the next year.