October Garden: Preparing Your Beds for Next Year’s Harvest

1. Clear Out Spent Plants

• Remove vegetables that have finished producing. Old plants can harbor pests and diseases that will overwinter in your soil.

• Healthy plant debris can go into your compost pile. Diseased plants should be bagged and removed.

2. Add Organic Matter

Fall is the perfect time to enrich your soil:

• Spread compost, well-rotted manure, or shredded leaves over your beds

• These materials will break down over winter, improving soil fertility and texture for spring planting.

• If you don’t have compost ready, even a layer of untreated straw or grass clippings helps protect and feed the soil.

3. Protect with Mulch or Cover Crops

• Mulching with straw, leaves, or wood chips insulates the soil and prevents erosion.

• If you’d like to go a step further, plant a cover crop (like winter rye, clover, or vetch). These green manures protect the soil, suppress weeds, and add nutrients when turned under in spring.

4. Prepare Perennial Beds

• Garlic, shallots, and perennial herbs like chives and thyme benefit from a fall planting.

• Mulch around perennials to protect them from freezing and thawing cycles.

5. Clean and Store Your Tools

October is also the time to give your tools some TLC:

• Wash off soil, sharpen blades, and lightly oil metal parts to prevent rust.

• Store hoses and watering cans to avoid cracking in freezing weather.

🍃 Final Thought

Spending a little time in your garden this October means you’ll be greeted with rich, healthy soil come spring. Think of it as tucking your garden in for a long, cozy winter’s nap—so it can wake up strong and ready to grow.

What’s your favorite fall gardening ritual—composting, planting garlic, or mulching with leaves? I’d love to hear how you’re preparing your garden for winter!

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Catherine
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