Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter

Now that summer is almost over. My grandchildren ask if they can put the garden to bed for the winter. We start when everything has died. It's very easy and the children love doing it, and they have fun.

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1. Pull up all dead plants and leftover vines.
2. If you have a chopper, grind all this up and put in a pile in the middle of the garden. Next remove all stakes and poles and supports. Store them for next year, it saves money.
3. Now that the fall leaves are starting to fall have the children gather them and put them on the garden. Leftovers out of the kitchen can go on this garden too.

This is a no waste plan. As your flowerbed died do the same thing to them. I test the ground and see what kind in mineral and levels maybe needed to the soil.

4. Go and get some peat moss or dirt and add to your garden. Have everyone put on some old clothes and let the children spread the dirt around.
5. After this is covered, get some hay or straw and cover all over the top. Now your garden is ready to put to bed for the winter. I cover mine with black plastic.
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6. Put usable branches or beanpoles and rocks in one place. This way you know where they are when you get ready to plant your spring garden.

Note: I till all of this under in the spring and then it helps with the growing of the plants.

You can plant some root crops right under one edge of the plastic all winter and they will come up. But only in the milder climates, (I live in Texas). That way I have carrots and turnips all year long.

My grandchildren and family love to be in the garden. And you don't have to have a big garden to produce a bit of food for the table.

With the prices of everything going up we have to learn to use what we have on hand. Enjoy your garden!

By Marlyne J.