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OT— Should I plant anything in the garden for winter?

6

641Dave

Member
I'm working my two new garden plots that are in heavy sandy loam soil. They produced pretty good this year but the weeds and bermuda finally took over. I've got some black tarp and round up after them now and have a handle on the weeds before they had a chance to seed.

I'm tilling in leaves, grass and some finely mulched wood from the chipper shredder.

My question is, would I benefit from planting anything in the garden over the winter or should I just let it lay and let the bio decompose over the winter?
 
Mom and I put some potatoes in last fall for and "early" harvest this year. We weren't too impressed, seemed like there were fewer, smaller potatoes compared to the ones we planted this spring.
 
Lotta folks around here (Maine) plant Winter Rye and
then till it down for green manure in the Spring.

It's also "allelophobic" meaning that it excretes
toxins that prevent germination of other seeds.
Helps keep the weeds down.
 
I would be careful working in leaves and mulch. These will need nitrogen to decompose. You are better off putting them on a separate compost pile until the are ready.

Get a farmer to sell you some good old manure, put it on 6" thick, then till it in.
 
Do what David suggested and coat the garden with cow manure. I plant barley for a cover crop. I bought 100 lbs for $12.00. I've used rye too.
Buck Wheat is good too, but I've never planted it in the Fall for a cover crop. It's hard to find it around here. I saw fields of it in Canada. I plowed one of the garden's this morning. I'm still getting a few tomatoes and no threat of frost so far. It's 70°F here today. Hal
 
What David G told you about the leaves and wood mulch is absolutely true. Be sure to add some additional nitrogen to help in the decomposition of all that high carbon stuff. I"ve seen guys totally screw up their gardens with the addition of too many yard leaves. It throws the "carbon/nitrogen" ratio all out of whack. I understand you're using "what you have"....and that's good. But "moderation" in application of high carbon materials is warranted. The idea of a seperate compost pile for leaves and wood chips is the best idea.
 
Most people who plant a winter crops go by there area. What type of winter do you have in your area that you live in. I live in Riverside Ca. my winter has alot of frost not snow or freezing. I can plant root crops or cabbage but when I do there is not good results do to the fact the days are getting shorter. Instead I work on my soil base and get it ready for spring. Which mean I get my soil tester kit out for winter.
 
Now is the time to apply manure cow horse chicken what ever. I years past I have also planted winter wheat as a cover crop and in the spring I till it in as green manure. You can also depending on where you are plant lettuce beets radiese (sp) cabbage etc
 
Don't worry about the leaves and such 'throwing things off'I do it all the time and have the best gardens of anyone I know just get a soil test to
see where you're at next Spring.I also plant
Mustard Greens,turnips,Crimson Clover and Hairy vetch as cover crops for the Winter.Plus I put the ashes from the wood stove and lots of rotted hay and hay manure mix from where I feed the goats on the garden all Winter.
 
I used to put leaves and lawn clippings on the garden in the winter, but quit. We are cool and moist in the spring here in the Pacific Northwest, and covering the ground keeps the ground cold and wet longer, delaying tilling and planting. I compost it elsewhere now, and put goat manure and compost on when its dry enough to till, then till it in. I plant root crops, peas and brassicas as soon as the ground can be worked, then corn, tomatoes, squash and beans when soil temp hits 60 degrees.
 
I would till in the fall and then put a foot of leafs on garden. By spring, half the leafs were gone. All I did was rake the leafs back and plant. By August, all the leafs were gone.
 
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